A Diamond in the Rough
by DarkShock
Summary: Diamond Tiara has always been forced to endure experiences that would break an average pony. But it was not until she realized her anger failed to help her that she was able to truly conquer the terrors that plagued her life. Diamond Tiara's back story.
1. Introduction

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 1

Note: My name is Shock, and I am here to spread the terror of the pony plague! The ponies have consumed my soul. Now the eerie voices lodged within my brain tell me to share my creativity with the community. So I shall. Diamond Tiara is probably the most hated and least popular character in the fandom, and I have created this to remedy the situation by giving her a backstory and a legitimate unique "cutie-mark" talent. Enjoy!

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In Equestria, 12 years have passed. The Mane Six, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie have passed down their elements to six lucky ponies, formatted into unique characteristics that better symbolize their personalities.

These ponies are known as Apple Bloom, a yellow earth pony with a crimson mane and a large pink bow, Sweetie Belle, a unicorn with a pale body and a curly purple mane, Scootaloo, an orange pegasus with a wild purple mane, Dinky Hooves, a grayscale pegasus with a blond mane, Pipsqueak, the youngest, even paler than Sweetie Belle, with a brown mane, and last but certainly not least, Diamond Tiara, the oldest, with a pink coat, and an opulent tiara upon her purple and white striped mane. Diamond has gone through some terrible events when she was merely a filly, but she had the willpower to fight through most of them. But, over time, she had to rely on…oops! Silly me, what good is a story if I spoil its essence, the plot! Well, I'll tell you her story…from the beginning. Wait, I can't? Why? Oh, because a reporter manages to grill the true story of Diamond Tiara's past from her? OK. This...is their story.

"I'm so excited! If this works I'll finally get a promotion!" I said as I left the door, making sure my blue coat was shimmering, and my white mane neatly combed. With my camera hanging around my mane, I trotted over to the Caramel Boutique in Ponyville. A simple knock on the door was all it took for it to open.

"It's 8 o'clock! Let a lady get some beauty sleep!" a pale unicorn said. Crap. This wasn't the person I was supposed to meet!

"I'm very sorry ma'am. Do you know where a pony named Diamond Tiara is?"

"She's upstairs. Go in the pink room."

"Thank you very much! Sorry about waking you."

"Just don't do it again. Bye."

I was exhilarated so I blazed up the stairs and knocked on that very door. Its design was very regal and gaudy, so I could definitely gather that she was very…wealthy.

"Rarity? I thought you were taking a nap!" a decently high-pitched yet powerful voice rang out. Who was Rari…oh! She must have been the one who I stupidly woke up! Anyway…

"Is this Diamond Tiara?"

"The one and only! Are you Rarity?"

"No, but I am here to record a documentary about your past. It will be recorded on public TV."

"Really? Wow, that's amazing! Tell me more!"

As I enter the room, I find a very beautiful pony. Her cerulean eyes shine like diamonds, her mane is almost straight, but still curly enough to convey a stylish, classy look, and she is very slim. Admittedly, I had to give a great deal of effort to concentrate on the project and not her.

"This is magnificent! About this documentary, do you want my account of it?" she said ecstatically.

"Please. I'm afraid I did not bring a tripod, so I'll have to record it from my camera. Is that fine?

"Of course! I live for the spotlight! I want everypony to know how special I am! It is going to be a very long story so tell me, how long do you have?"

"As long as it takes. I have all day, and it's only 8 AM right now."

"Sounds great! I'll start at the very beginning."

* * *

And, there you go! My very first actual chapter of Fan Fiction! Thank you for reading it, I really hope you enjoy it, and if I made mistakes or if you have any criticism, reviews would be very, very much appreciated! Also, yes, this story will be told in flashbacks.

Next Chapter: Diamond Tiara tells the journalist about her early life and her problems with her parents, as well as her early life in school. She also meets her first friend at that school. Who is it? (I'm sure you know, but whatever.) Find out next chapter!


	2. Dull Beginnings

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 2

Note: The first chapter was intended to be vague and just a lead-in to Diamond Tiara's backstory. Also, I don't mean to sound like a sell-out, but since I am only an adolescent, some reviews and improvements would help me out immensely with this story. Please, help me for Tiara's sake. Also, this chapter contains swearing. The story is T rated for a reason!

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The booting up of my camera was a little slow, but I managed to get the video recording start quickly, and gave Mrs. Tiara the nod to begin. I could tell I wouldn't be going anywhere for quite some time, but I knew the promotion would be worth it. She cleared her throat, and began her tale.

"Well, first off, I'll tell you about my parents. My dad, Filthy Rich, was brown and had a pitch-black mane, along with a small blue and white tuxedo and a red tie with dollar signs, and my mom, Glamour Tiara, was, like me, pink, with a diagonally striped rainbow mane and she is one of the tallest female ponies I know. Unfortunately…they hated each other."

(24 years ago: Diamond Tiara's modern perspective of her infancy.)

I lived in a gargantuan, 3 story mansion even as an infant. We had about 5 footmen, and I soon made friends with them, primarily because even as an infant, my parents were nowhere to be found. They only seemed to do two things, argue, and run their businesses. Glamour ran a very successful jewelry store, that is closed today, and my dad ran the best business in Ponyville, Rich's Barnyard Bargains. I couldn't understand what they were saying to each other back then, but I'd imagine their conversations would sound like this…

Glamour might say, "I _told_ you we should have waited until they made gender control pills, but you had to be a whiny and say 'It will be a male, trust me!' and now we have a useless daughter who can't take over your shitty business!"

Then dad might say, "We can raise her and have her _teach_ the son once those pills exist! She is _not_ useless, and my business is _not _shitty!"

"Oh, sure! Let's raise the frilly pink pony so that she knows everything about business! That's not going to happen! And even if it does, she'll learn from a moron who can't even get away from royalties that he has to pay to a farming family!"

"I _know_ that I'll be able to work out _some_ stupid deal or find one goddamn loophole in the contract we have with the Apple Family. So just leave!

"Fine! I _hate_ you! Why did I even marry you!" she would conclude, and then they would leave and go to their businesses, stressed and distraught.

Of course, it wasn't all that bad. The footmen were very polite, attentive, and the butler, White Handkerchief, with a dull white body, a gray mane, and brown eyes, treated me like I was his daughter.

I remember one time when I was two, I said while crying, "White! I lost my ball!" and yet, he just calmly gave me another one and asked if I needed anything else. He was very polite, and actually enjoyed his job, especially considering I was fairly quiet as an infant, and not as demanding as you might think.

But, the fighting continued, and it wasn't until I was four years old that they officially divorced.

I still remember Mom's final words after the divorce warrant was signed, "Enjoy this abomination, you prick!" and with one final slam, she left.

I also remember Dad's first words after the slam, "Diamond Tiara, I'm sorry to put you through all of that. Look, there are words that we used that you should never say in public."

"Which ones, Dad?" I responded, and he told me all seven.

Dad spent a two years recovering before he finally signed me up for school. Going out of the mansion, I felt like a needle on top of a field of hay. The place where I had lived for five years had felt foreign and distant, so concern gripped me like a leech as I hesitantly walked to school.

The teacher, named Mrs. Joy a green pony with golden curls of hair, had a fun-loving spirit that I could feel from the beginning. Of course, I was still hesitant to raise my hand when she asked questions, but after I saw no one knew the answer to 6 X 6, I felt my hoof go up.

"Yes, Diamond Tiara?" she said, making me sweat like crazy.

"Uh…it's 36, right? I hope I'm not wrong…"

"Don't worry dear, that's correct! Wow, you are great at math for a kindergartener!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Joy."

All of a sudden, I heard a few kids clopping, and I even got a few compliments after school. I had never felt so good in my life before, and I instantly knew my goal in life was to make everypony realize how special I was. So, I did my best to make sure I never worried about making mistakes, and to just say whatever it on my mind.

About 5 days later, a day after we had our first quiz, Mrs. Joy said, "Now, class, I will announce who got the best score on this quiz!"

I had no doubt it was me, but, surprisingly enough, a girl named Silver Spoon got 100% on it, and I only got 90%! I pondered how she was able to do so, and soon enough I found myself walking with her.

Without further ado, I said, "Hey, Silver Spoon! I'm Diamond Tiara! Nice job on that test!"

"Um…hi diamond tia…"

"Hey, are you OK? I can barely hear you!"

"It's just…well, I'm not very social, so I don't really know how to talk to you without sounding like an idiot."

"Hey, I've got a great idea! Why don't I teach you how to be more assertive so that you can lose this shyness barrier, and you can teach me how you got that awesome grade?"

"Sure. Can we start now?"

"Of course! First off, don't be afraid to say whatever is on your mind, like what I did when I answered the 6 X 6 question. Second off, just go with the flow. If somepony tries to talk with you, just calmly respond."

"Wow, is it really that simple?"

"Yes, you just have to put those values in yourself. It didn't take me very long, so it shouldn't take long for you either!"

"Wow, thanks Diamond Tiara! Can we be friends?"

"Yeah! Say, would you like to see the mansion I live in?"

"You live in a mansion? Wow, and I thought my family was rich, since I live in a 2 story building!"

"Yeah, my last name isn't called Rich for nothing! Come on, follow me and you can teach me those study methods, friend!"

"I'm right behind you, Diamond!"

And just like that, I met my first and very best friend.

* * *

And Chapter 2 is done! No real plot elements or conflicts yet, but they'll be coming soon! Once again, please review if you see any problems with this story, and I'll see you all next chapter!

Next Chapter: Diamond and Spoon talk with each other more, we discover some of Diamond's hobbies. What are they, and how will Diamond and Spoon bond? Find out, next time!


	3. Friendship is Music

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 3

Note: Yay! Reviews! Thank you both so much!

McPeach: I really did not think the cussing was THAT bad since it was only in one part, but I heeded your words and toned the cursing down, so you can read my newly edited chapters. Also, I looked up what AU means, and I can assure you I will keep this story as close as I can to the canon MLP world, but I just forgot to make the changes, so I also fixed that. Finally, I'm using Word, and the line does not seem to transfer to Fan Fiction, so could you tell me how to use the Fan Fiction line tool, please? Thank you very much for your feedback!

DisneyPrincess: Yeah, I realized that I had to have some reason why Diamond Tiara turned out to be what she is as a teenager. Thanks for the review, and please keep reading!

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Silver Spoon, who had a white mane, a gray body, and slightly weird blue glasses was a lot of fun to talk with. When I asked her about her glasses, she said she didn't have good vision and that's why she wore them, but it still looked like the they were, "cramping her style" even today. But, I digress. We quickly shifted the focal point of our conversation to our families. Silver Spoon brought that topic up.

"Diamond Tiara, how is your family?

"First off, since we're friends, you can call me Diamond, and second off, they're…alright I guess."

"What do you mean? We're friends so you can talk with me about your problems."

"Err…my parents are "divorced" which means, I think, that my mom and dad are in different places."

"Ouch! I'm sorry I asked, Diamond."

"Don't worry, you didn't know. So, how is your family?"

"They're great! My parents run a successful flatware store."

"Isn't that the stuff that you eat with? And isn't one of them called a spoon?

"Ha, yes to both of your questions! So does your family run any businesses?"

"As a matter of fact, my dad runs the most successful business in Ponyville," I said confidently. Even back then, I could realize how great that felt.

"Wow! That's amazing! No wonder why you live in a mansion!"

With a wink, I responded, "Wait 'til you actually see it!"

After about half a mile of our walking, we reached the mansion. Needless to say, Silver's jaw seemed to drop, and she seemed to be speechless. I can still remember how humorous she looked as she babbled incoherently. So, I broke the silence.

"Awesome, huh? Well, don't just stand there, follow me!"

I gave her a brief tour, and then I escorted her to my room. It was plastered with my favorite color, pink, had a portrait of me behind my queen-sized bed, and even had a separate bathroom towards the back-right complete with a tub and shower. One could say I was living in style. I also liked dolls, so I had about 5 dollhouses, each with about 8 dolls towards the left, where a window was, and there was a bookcase of business related books towards the right.

"Spoon? Have you recovered yet?"

"Yes…I think so…wow…amazing."

"Good. Now, could you give me some pointers on studying, si'l vous plait?"

"What did you say?"

"It's French. It means "if you please" in English."

"How'd you learn French? You're a kindergartener!"

I pointed to the bookcase, and she simply nodded.

Then, she said, "Alright, the first thing I like to do when I study is to go over the sheet we are supposed to study from in my head. Then, I think I simply say the terms in my head until I've memorized them."

"Really? That's it? My memory is really bad! I thought there would be a shortcut! Dang it!"

"I'm really sorry…but, I'm sure if you work on it, your memory will get better."

"Alright, I guess I could try it. Well, I'm sure your parents are wondering where the heck you are, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, thanks, Diamond! I'm sorry I couldn't help you as much as you helped me today, but I'll keep on working!"

"Yeah. Bye."

She closed the door, and once again, I was alone. Funny, I had experienced loneliness since I was born, and yet, every time it occurred, it felt foreign. It was a treacherous realm which I could enter with ease, but never escape. So, I decided to take some bits and go to the Ponyville dance studio. My dad really didn't care, since we had so many of them. In fact, I was sneaking off since my parents divorced, and even when my dad caught me he said he didn't care. Once I arrived, I was greeted by Miss Rhythm, a kind, very fit pony with a teal body and a brown mane.

"Diamond Tiara! Great to see you! Ready to get your groove on?" she said almost in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, I am!"

"Great! Class will start in about 5 minutes."

I don't know what drew me to this studio at all, really. It could have been my desire to get away from my feuding parents, or my idea that dancing was ladylike, and I felt like I wanted to be more like a lady. Either way, I was happy with my decision. I strapped my sweatband on as Miss Rhythm put on her boom box. We dance to a variety of music styles, but my favorite kind was jazz. I just loved the feel of it, and it helped take me away from the problems I had been experiencing. No more feuding parents. No more trying to fit in. Just pure, relaxing music. I loved every second of it.

After the dancing lesson was over, I went home, took a quick shower, then I realized I had a saxophone lesson that day. I actually got my saxophone recently, because when I turned six I realized that saxophones were used in jazz very often, and I wanted to play some jazz myself. So, I did what I always do when I want something, even though isn't as often as you might think. I use my absolutely flawless technique of, what I like to call Diamond Eyes! Simply put, I make the biggest, adorable eyes I can, give a cute little pout, and before I know it, my victim is in the palm of my hoof. Surprisingly enough, I perfected my technique when I was only five! I'm awesome. My dad cracked, again, and in one week, I got my saxophone.

But, back to the lesson, I walked to the Ponyville Music Center, used the elevator to get to the fourth floor, and I met my teacher, Mr. Blues. He had a tan body and mane, but what made him stand out were his big, blue shades, which he always seems to wear. However, he did tell me that he wasn't blind.

He also had a tendency to point at me during our introductions.

"Diamond Tiara, are you ready to learn some more jazz?" I loved his endearing over-the-top antics.

"I brought my saxophone. Of course I'm ready!"

"Cool. Let's begin."

For about one hour, I played some pretty toned down jazz, but I was doing great for a beginner, according to him. After a safe trip down the elevator, I did my homework and went to bed.

After the first month of school, Spoon and I became "besties," a phrase I coined myself. Not much else happened aside from me telling Spoon about my dancing and music lessons, except for the last day of the month, when I suggested that we have a secret hoofshake.

"Ohmygosh Diamond! That sounds great!"

"Yeah, is anypony watching us?"

"No, I don't see anypony."

"All right, I remember most secret handshakes starting with a bump with their hooves."

"Sounds good. Let's use both and how about…we do it twice!"

"Yeah."

"And then…we bump our elbows."

"Yeah…we'll call that a sugar lump!"

"And finally, we bump our flanks."

"A rump! That's perfect, Spoon! Let's practice it!"

It took us three tries, but we finally managed to get it down.

"Alright, Spoon, one more time!"

"Bump, Bump, Sugar Lump, Rump!" we said, giggling like maniacs when we managed to pull it off.

"That was fantastic, Diamond!"

"Yeah, you're a great friend, Spoon."

"Besties?" she said, holding her hoof out.

"Besties!" I responded, giving her one last bump before leaving to return to the mansion.

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There we go! One more chapter in the books! I will respond and address concerns you have with the story in the reviews to the best of my ability, so please let me know how I can make this an enjoyable story. Thanks, and please keep reading and reviewing!

Next Chapter: The rest of kindergarten is covered, as well as Diamond's trials in the first and second grade. Cutie marks are also beginning to be discussed. Will anyone get one? Find out, next time!


	4. Changes

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 4

McPeach: I know Diamond is soft now, but please keep in mind that she is only six, and is experiencing the "magic of friendship" for the first time. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to review my work.

REDgirl2723: Google Translator is your friend. Also, in my mind, there's no way in heck Diamond's going to get with someone who has the masculinity of tin-foil and allows her to get covered in ink. However, there will be some romance later on. Thanks for the review! Also, if you want, you could make a fan fiction shipping Diamond Tiara and Featherweight, but I certainly will not be.

This chapter is where the story should begin to get juicy. So, without further ado, here it is!

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After the creation of our secret hoofshake, I discovered how it felt to be friends with someone, and it felt beautiful. I also thought, maybe, I could get more assertive in school, and express myself in other ways aside from answering questions.

Anyway, after a brisk walk, I opened the door to the mansion, only to find it was completely barren. I called for the butlers, but they were all gone too! It was scary, but I managed to calm down quickly and do the sensible thing, call my dad. I got a signal.

"Dad, it's me, Diamond. Where the heck are you?"

"Diamond Tiara? Didn't I tell you I had a very important business meeting today?"

"No, but…"

"I can't talk with you. I'll be home very late, so make sure you control yourself. Goodbye."

And, just like that, I lost him. A wave of loneliness swept over me, but then I realized I had let it dominate me for my entire life. So, I decided to combat the loneliness by reading one of the business books on my bookshelf. I knew my parents wanted me to go into business even before they got divorced, so I might as well discover why.

Of course, it would have helped if I actually knew what any of the words meant back then. Stocks? Aggregation? Buying in bulk? They should have called it "The Gibberish Book!" Business was much more difficult than I thought! No wonder I live in one of the richest families in Ponyville!

So, after taking some time to do my small amount of homework and play my saxophone, I saw only one other thing I could do. I walked over to the dance studio, and fortunately, by the time I got back, it was my bedtime! Happy and content, I drifted off to sleep.

The rest of kindergarten was relatively uneventful. My assertive lessons worked great for Silver Spoon, I managed to ace all of my classes, and we graduated, feeling like Equestria was our oyster.

Also, I should probably explain the education system here. There is only one elementary, middle, and high school in the entirety of Ponyville, and ponies are assigned to one teacher out of three per grade, who teaches all of their subjects. Apparently, there would be times when ponies would switch teachers, but that never happened to me.

Getting back to business, literally, I never really got the chance to ask dad to go over my questions about the absurdly confusing books I read until the summer, since at that time, I wasn't busy with school. In fact, I was able to ask him earlier on than I thought!

"Dad, the books on my bookcase are really confusing. Could you help explain them for me?" I asked.

"Which ones, Diamond?"

"The ones about business. I couldn't even get passed the first ten pages without having my head blow up!"

He gave me a warm smile. "I'd be more than happy to go over them with you, Diamond."

We walked to my room, I pointed out the book that I read, and he meticulously went over them, but related the concepts to things I could understand. Heck, he even related stocks to the mood of a pony!

He would say, "Stocks are exactly like talking to ponies. If you talk to somepony in a good mood, their mood will get better, and so will yours. If you talk to somepony in a bad mood, both their and your moods will plummet."

It was a great bonding experience, which was immediately followed by a loud knock on our door. I ran to the door, opened it, only to find my good mood accelerating.

"Grandpa!" I said, leaping out to give him a hug.

"Diamond! It's so nice to see you! How has kindergarten been for my favorite daughter?"

"It's been great, Grandpa! How have you been?"

"Just fine, those Zap Apples are growing like crazy! Can't wait to sell them!"

I couldn't believe Stinkin' Rich, my great-grandfather, after the horrific divorce, was coming over just to say hello to us. I never knew my actual grandfather or grandmother, because I think they died from some disease before I was born. But, I loved Stinkin', probably even more than my dad, because he really treated me like I was special. I felt so glad that at least one pony could see what I saw.

About a minute later, my dad saw him. "It's wonderful to see you. How have the Zap Apples been?"

"We've got a great deal of them this year. How has Diamond been? Have you been treating her well?"

"I'd say so. I just taught her some business lessons."

"That's great news. I know she's going to be a vital part in our business. Make sure you keep the lessons steady."

"Understood. Is this all the time you have?"

"Unfortunately, it is. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon."

When I heard of the bad news, I said, "Do you really have to go Grandpa?"

"I wish I didn't, but Barnyard Bargain's isn't going to run itself."

"Bye, Grandpa. I'll miss you…"

"Don't worry, I'll come back soon, OK?" he said, then after a quick peck on my cheek, he closed the door.

After my great-grandpa's visit, the summer seemed to go by a lot quicker, and I learned a lot about business from my dad. However, there was one particular point that he always seemed to focus on.

That point was, "The number one rule in business is to not let your feelings influence your decisions in the slightest. I'm not saying that you should apply this rule to life, but you have to apply it to business if you want to succeed."

When the summer ended, school was back in session. I told Silver Spoon about some of the business skills I learned, but she didn't seem to be interested in it. Yet, that didn't really faze me, though, since I got bored by it originally too.

We walked and talked about our summer together, until we reached our first grade classroom. Our teacher was a former actor known as Mrs. Bright, with a dull yellow body and a blond mane. I liked her instantly. She was a very good teacher in our normal subjects, but by far my favorite subject was drama.

It was…a little tough convincing Silver Spoon to give drama a try, because she was still relatively shy. But, I gave her pointers, and she managed to stick it through with me for the entire school year.

One of my favorite parts about drama had to be the hand gestures she taught us.

"Now, class, when you have finished with your performance, there is a certain way to handle the applause the audience gives you. Follow me, please. First, you put your dominant hoof directly above your head, like this!" she would say with enthusiasm.

We mimicked her. "Good! Next, we make a downward half circle with that hoof, and bow, like this!"

All of a sudden, another student, a unicorn with a pale body and white and purple curls raised her hoof.

"Um, aren't females supposed to curtsy?" she asked.

"Where did you get that idea from?"

"My sister Rarity told me!"

"I'm afraid that isn't how it works in drama. Now, class, please follow me."

Again, we followed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I've seen that unicorn before.

We quickly finished, giving her the sign to continue. "Finally, you point your hoof at the other members who helped your play become successful, hold one pony's right hand with your left, hold another pony's left hand with your right, and bow again. Try to do it more than once if the applause is loud enough. Now, then, let's practice. Ready, Set, Go!"

With that signal, we practiced a few times until we were able to do it successfully.

Through this drama class, I was able to realize I had a natural stage presence, and I sought ways I could get on the actual school stage. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a way before a tragedy swept over my life.

Towards the end of first grade, my dad said that he was going to take me to Stinkin' Rich's place for a business event.

However, when we got to his mansion, about the same size as ours, I saw him slumped on the ground.

He wasn't moving, and he had no pulse.

He was dead.

I was very, very heartbroken, and I had to spend I week at home recovering from the pure stress I experienced when I found him dead, and at the funeral, which my dad insisted I come to.

It was the first time I disagreed with one of his decisions.

I couldn't believe the pony who I loved was dead, and I couldn't even talk to him after he left on that fateful day. But, through it all, my dad comforted me, taught me, and allowed me to dance and play my saxophone before I was mentally able to go back to school.

I told Silver Spoon. "That's horrible, Diamond! I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" was her reaction, and I did feel her sympathizing for me.

"No, Spoon. I've recovered, and I feel more determined than ever to learn about business and to make him proud. I KNOW that I'm special, and I'm going to prove it to him!"

"Diamond, you just give off so much confidence. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

I gave a sincere smile to Silver Spoon that seemed to make the after effects of the tragedy float away.

Next summer, after I aced all of my classes in first grade, even receiving a 100% in drama, I felt obligated to get on the stage. While Mrs. Rhythm and her dance classes really couldn't help me too much, Mr. Blues said that I had progressed far enough to participate in a recital. Once he told me a recital was where people get on stage to play the music they learned in their lessons, I got hooked. While my father was unable to make it, I practiced heavily for the big event, and managed to get a great applause for playing, what was for my skill level, a decently challenging song with only one minor mistake.

My recital allowed me to go into second grade brimming with confidence, and a newfound desire to make my great-grandfather proud of me. Sadly, while I did like my teacher, Mrs. Stone, a rather elderly lady with a gray body and a white mane, the subjects began to increase in difficulty.

However, by far, my least favorite subject was history. It was boring, stupid, and the worst part was it was an absolute pain to prepare for the tests. Early on in the year, I got a 70% on a history test, and got my first B ever during the first semester of history.

Needless to say, I was crushed. Even Silver Spoon seemed to be noticing the upward spiral of challenge, and barely managed to pass the first semester with all A's!

To add, at the beginning of the second semester, Silver Spoon brought up an interesting topic.

"Hey Diamond, have you noticed that most ponies have these weird marks on their flanks?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. I think they're called cutie marks. Do you know anything about them?"

"It looks like they help ponies perform cool stuff, like I once saw a pony with a construction cutie mark who created a floor of a fairly large house in only one day!"

"Wow! That's awesome! I wonder if we can get them!"

"I'm sure we can! According to my mom, anypony can get a cutie mark, and it's something that is triggered by something we do from our hearts!"

"That sounds awesome! Let's try to get our cutie marks soon!"

"Alright, bye Diamond! Bump, bump, sugar lump, rump!"

Also, during that semester, the workload seemed to die down, and I was getting A's again. But, even though my grades were good, I ran headfirst into a brick wall; an after school problem that seemed to destroy the connection I had with my father.

That problem came in the form of bullies.

Towards the middle of the second semester, an absurdly huge black pony with a checkered white and black mane, who I later found out was called Black Flag approached us as we were walking home from school.

After closing some of the distance between us, he said to Spoon, "Hey, Four Eyes! Why don't you suck on your glasses just like it was your pacifier? You big baby!"

"I'…m not a b-b-baby."

I had to protect my best friend, so I screamed, "Leave her alone!"

"Oooooh. The prissy little pink pony is going to stand up for her retard friend. Why don't I take you two down a notch!" he said, then proceeded to beat the living crap out of me and Silver Spoon.

As he laughed at us, I felt an inner rage being channeled through me. I really didn't know what happened next, until I realized he was vomiting blood.

After a minute, I put all of the pieces together. You see, one of the things I liked to do to make me look pretty would be to file my hooves with a diamond filer. Once I realized that, I came to the conclusion that I had punched him. Hard.

In a panic, I called the Ponyville Emergency Committee, and told them about the incident. 5 minutes later, an ambulance took him to the hospital.

I was almost afraid to check, but my right hoof did have blood on it. I wasn't looking forward to explaining this to dad…

Silver Spoon probably thanked me, but I was too busy running home to wash my hooves before my dad could look at them.

That…didn't happen.

Instead, my dad caught me, and I explained the entire situation to him.

Even after I claimed it was self-defense three times, his response was, "Diamond, you're grounded. For a week."

"What? Why?"

"Because you need to take this as a lesson to control your temper. You can't run a business if you don't have a cool head."

"I did it in self-defense! Read my lips, dad!"

"Diamond, my decision is final."

"Fine. But during that week, don't expect me to talk to you!"

I stomped up the stairs, shut, and locked my door. I couldn't believe my own father disagreed with my assertive behavior. He disagreed…with who I thought I was as a person. Well, I intended to live my life as an assertive individual, and if it takes me protesting his actions to tell him that…so be it.

* * *

And there we go! Chapter 4 is done! Phew, this was a fairly long one! But, I hoped you enjoyed it, and if you have anything you'd like to say about this story, I'd love nothing more than to hear your opinions!

Next chapter: Diamond goes through one week of silence at her home, and tries to reconcile with her mother. Diamond and Silver also make efforts towards getting their cutie marks. Will she treat Diamond better than Diamond believes her father does and who will get their mark first? Find out, next time!


	5. A Shattered Heart

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 5

Happy May Day everypony! I'll be more than happy to start this month with a new, juicy chapter of A Diamond in the Rough!

DisneyPrincess: I'm so glad you love these villain backstories! I've always loved villains more than heroes in fiction, and I especially love being able to get into their psyche and answer the burning question, "How did they become evil?" Your support really means a lot to me, so I hope I can entertain you with more chapters.

McPeach: I had a bad feeling I had said "palm of my hand" in Chapter 3, but I didn't expect that I had said "handshake" instead of "hoofshake" twice! Thank you so much for reviewing these chapters and pointing these flaws out! I'll be extra careful from now on.

Without further ado, here is the latest chapter in A Diamond in the Rough!

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I tend to shy away from promises, but when I claim something that passionately, I always do my best to hold up my end of the bargain. Sure enough, during that week when I was grounded, I kept silent from my dad. However, towards the middle of the week, we had a half day, so Silver Spoon and I were able to talk more. After a brief discussion about our cutie-marks, which we had not obtained yet, our conversation drifted into the idea of "hoof surgery."

Silver Spoon started off that conversation by saying, "Hey Diamond, have you thought about getting hoof surgery before?"

"First off, no, and second off, that sounds painful."

"It actually isn't. I might not have told you this, but I've been playing piano since I was five, and it eventually became patience-trying, since I…you know, don't have "fingers"."

"That's cool, but what does that have to do with hoof surgery?"

"Hoof surgery is where they cut in your front two hooves, and then they give you a magic glove that allows your split hoof to go into each of the five "fingers" as they like to call it."

"Eh…OK. But I can't see any holes in your hooves, Spoon!"

"Oh, after I took the glove off, they just vanished, yet the glove still worked fine after!"

"Awesome! Do you know I can get it?"

"Sure! Would you like to do it right now?"

"Does it take very long?"

"Half an hour tops."

"Alright, lead the way!"

However, as we were running, something suddenly popped into my head. "Wait, are you sure I'm allowed to have this without an adult watching me, Spoon?"

"According to the receptionist, since this surgery is simple, painless, and popular, they decided to let minors take it without an adult watching you. You can double check, but I'm pretty sure that's what I heard."

"Great! Continue leading the way!"

Since I knew my dad thought this was a normal day, I didn't think he would get suspicious if I got the surgery real quick. Spoon and I got to the hospital relatively quickly, as, once again; there was only one real hospital in Ponyville. I asked for the surgery, found out from the reception pony that I _could _get it without dad's permission, gave her the bits, and proceeded to walk down the hallway, claiming I would be back to see Silver Spoon in two shakes of a mare's tail.

I knocked the door of "Doctor Ate" the doctor I had been instructed to see, and a tall colt opened the door with a brown body, a white mane, and professional looking white framed glasses. I thought his guy should have given Spoon any tips on glasses, because his glasses looked five times better than hers.

"Yes? What can I do for you, young lady?" he asked once he saw me.

"I have a form for hoof surgery. Could I get it now, please?"

"Certainly. Please have a seat."

He instructed me to sit on some weird combination of a mattress and a bench, and began checking my temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure to make sure that there would be no complications.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order, Mrs. …Tiara, correct?"

"Yes, I'm Diamond Tiara. Could we begin, please?"

"No need to hurry. I've got the scalpel."

With that, he gently divided my two front hooves into five sections then carefully put on the gloves. Sure enough, just like Silver Spoon said, they fit perfectly, and I was able to use all five sections of my hoof.

I happily said, "Thank you!" and then exited without another word. I took the gloves off in front of Spoon, and sure enough, my hooves became whole again.

I was ecstatic, and gave Silver Spoon a hug as well as our secret hoofshake before I left to go back home. I couldn't wait to practice my saxophone in my room.

I was a little concerned when I opened the door, but luckily, nopony was there, so I simply went back to my room. When my dad returned, he did open my door a little forcefully. But, when he saw me playing my saxophone, he simply closed it without another word.

Finally, when the week was over, my dad ran up the stairs only to see me pretending to sleep.

However, I don't think he was fooled, because he said, "Diamond, the week is over. You can talk to me again. Don't shut me out like this."

I was still enraged with my punishment,so I yelled, "Why not? Huh?"

"Because I hoped I could teach you a valuable business lesson with this."

I sighed. "Go on."

"That lesson is that sometimes, not everything will go right when you do something…controversial. People will blame the person who performed that action, and if you are not able to simply shake it off, you'll go nowhere. That applies to life, too. I hoped that you would be able to let go of a grudge, but I guess you aren't there yet."

"Dad, I'm eight years old. Do you really expect me to learn a lesson like that?"

"I guess not. Anyway, I'm really sorry about grounding you for doing something in self-defense. I just hoped it would be able to teach you to control yourself better, and that you would remember not to do it again."

"You know what? I think you're right. Fine, I promise to do my best not to fight anymore, but simply punishing me without any real reason is going to make me angry. I haven't exactly been grounded before, you know?" I said, with a wink.

"That's my girl. I love you, Diamond."

"I love you too, Dad."

With a hug, and a peck on my cheek, I was able to forgive my dad for grounding me…for the most part. It still bugs me when I think about the event as a whole, so I've done my best to put it behind me.

The rest of the second semester of second grade went pretty smoothly. Both Spoon and I got straight A's, and I was able to practice more complex pieces on my saxophone.

When I told Mr. Blues about my hoof surgery, he said, "Cool. Maybe you can try some of these tunes. They've got some wicked fast notes that used to only be possible on string instruments, but I think you could play some of the easier ones."

"Sounds great, Mr. Blues! Where are these books?"

"I'll go get 'em, so chill right there. Stay cool with the beats, Diamond."

With a point, he left, and returned quickly with those awesome books.

The finals for the second semester were tough, the desire to have time to play those pieces made them go by quickly. Some of the short ones I was able to learn within one day, but I did learn a fairly long and complex song for my second recital.

Once again, I performed admirably, and my dad even managed to make it, making the day even more special. I think I was finally able to truly bond with my father during that summer, and I felt even closer with my family.

Also, by now, I was starting to realize how truly special I was compared to other ponies, so I walked around undaunted by any challenges that would come next grade. Apparently, that confidence was contagious, because Silver Spoon was finally beginning to radiate confidence. I knew that as long as we stuck together, nopony would intimidate us.

My teacher for the third grade was known as Mrs. Lemon, and unfortunately, she was the first teacher I didn't really gravitate towards.

I think the primary reason why I didn't like her was because she tended to ignore me during discussions, even though I always had good ideas. Over time, her actions were starting to get rather irritating and, remembering what my dad taught me, I confronted her after class rather than making a fuss during class.

I'm really glad I did.

Her response to my confrontation was, "We need to get everyone in the discussion, or no one will learn."

"But, Mrs. Lemon! I know the answers to the problems you ask! The stuttering that some of the other ponies do just makes both them and me look dumb!"

"Listen to me very closely, Mrs. Tiara. No student is dumb. They are just trying to learn. And I am trying to _help_ them. Calling on you would defeat the purpose of learning for them."

"Errrgh…fine! But don't come crying to me when none of those students has "learned" anything! Goodbye!" I said, shutting the door behind me.

Needless to say, the classes with Mrs. Lemon sucked a good deal, and it really, _really_ shortened my fuse over time. Sure enough, she never called on me, and over time, I just stopped raising my hand. In fact, during one time when I knew the answer to a math question, and no one else did, considering math was my best subject, I refused to raise my hand, and said I didn't know the answer when Mrs. Lemon called on me.

Silver Spoon talked with me about this afterwards, and said, "Diamond, you knew that answer, right?"

"Yes, but Mrs. Lemon specifically said she didn't want me to participate in the class discussions."

"Did she really say that?"

"No, but she said something similar. Hey, if she doesn't want my input, that's her hoofing problem. I know I'm special, so I don't really need a teacher to tell me what I already know."

"That's fine. Say, have a look at my flank!"

I gasped. "You got your cutie mark? That's wonderful! I was hoping that I could get it first, but still, wow! What's your talent?"

"As you might expect, my talent it making silverware, but I noticed that I can also tell different flavors much easier, so that's helped me start to become a cook as well! Well, I've got to go now. Bye Diamond!"

"Later, Spoon!"

"Hey morons!"

Oh, no. Not Black Flag! Unfortunately, life did decide to hate me today, because he was walking straight towards me and Spoon.

My response to his taunt was, "Ugh, like, can't some fillies get some privacy? Why in the name of Celestia are you even trying to bully girls who are half your age? Are you THAT desperate?"

Whoa, where did that come from?

"Nah, you two seem like such good friends! Because of that, it would be simple to crush you."

"You make it sound like it's easy. Actually, the only thing you're hurting right now are our noses. Brush your teeth, stinky!" I said, even holding my nose to deliver the full effect.

"Why, you…you're asking for it!"

"Asking for what? For you to pummel two small third graders and get your flank sent to the principal?"

"Damn it! Get the hoof out of my way; I'll bully some other pony."

Silver Spoon turned to me, with sparkles in her eyes.

"That was amazing, Diamond! Where did you even get half of those insults from, anyway?" she asked.

"I…I…I…don't know. Wow. I didn't even know I had that kind of power! This is a perfect way to deal with those stupid idiots who harass us!"

"You're a great friend, Diamond! I…guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah! Bump, bump, sugar lump, rump!"

I felt exhilarated coming home, because I couldn't wait to tell dad about what I had done. Sure enough he was home.

I rushed up to him and said, "Dad! Dad! You'll never guess what I did today!"

"You sound excited. All right, I'm curious now."

"I discovered that I could stop bullies by using my mouth, not my fists!"

"You mean you beat him in insults? That's…great I suppose."

"What do you mean, Dad?"

"I don't think it will be a big deal, but it sounds like you are fighting bullies…with bullying."

"Huh? Oh, no, don't be silly. I won't turn into a bully!"

"I hope not. Anyway, I just got a letter from your mother. She wants to see you again."

"Why is that?"

"She says, 'I haven't got to see my child in so long, and I think I have enough time in a week for her to give me a brief visit.' "

"Sounds great! I'd love to see my mom again!"

"Just be careful, OK. We divorced for a reason."

While I did sense a bit of concern in my dad's voice, I was too excited to care. As the day drew closer and closer, I realized that she ran a beauty salon and jewelry shop, so I might as well try to make a gift for her. I realized that since she seemed like she had high standards, and since I wanted to make her proud of me, I felt obligated to make something special.

On the day before the big day, I hatched a brilliant plan. We had a bunch of diamonds, and since my name IS Diamond Tiara, I should try to make one! I knew it might be tough, but I was determined. Once I actually began making the tiara, it was surprisingly simple. In fact, I was able to finish the entire thing in about one hour! I wore the tiara, and went to the mirror. I looked great in it, but as I looked even closer, I discovered something that changed my life forever. Looking at my flank in the mirror, I had a tiara on it that mimicked the one I created.

I had finally gotten my cutie mark! I went absolutely crazy, but I made sure I placed the tiara down before I ran to tell my dad about the life-changing news.

Still jumping like I was a madmare, I yelled, "Dad! Dad! I got my cutie mark! I got my hoofing cutie mark!"

"Really? Let me see!"

"It's right here! Right here right here right here!"

My dad simply smiled at me and patted my mane before leaving, and it was by far the happiest I had ever been in my life.

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to call Silver Spoon, so I called her that night and told her the great news. She was also incredibly happy for me, but it was close to impossible to be as happy as me.

The next day, I got the directions, and walked over to my mother's house. While also very big, it was only two stories, which I can understand because she lived alone.

She opened the door. "Good morning, Diamond Tiara…what is that?" she asked, with a strange look on her face.

"It's a tiara I made! Out of diamonds! I made it just for you!"

"You expect me…to wear that?"

"Sure! It will look so great on you! I even got my cutie mark from it!"

"Yeah. Listen, Diamond Tiara. I was afraid that you would make something to embarrass yourself when my "HUSBAND" told you early. It's no wonder I broke up with him."

My ears drooped, and I said, "Huh? You…don't…like…it?"

"How can I put this lightly…I guess I can't. I wouldn't get caught dead wearing something that tacky."

I gave her my Diamond Eyes and said, "But…I made it just for you! I…put all of my effort into making it perfect!"

"I'm afraid it isn't dear. You can wear it yourself."

I was almost crying at this point. All of a sudden, my sadness turned to rage. "Fine! You don't deserve a gift from me anyway! You aren't my mother!" I yelled, and then I slammed her door.

I was absolutely distraught. I had worked so hard into making something that would show my mom, my parent, that I was special. I even used my Diamond Eyes to try to _give _something away! And she just slapped me! My thoughts became jumbled, but eventually one stood out. It was, "I'll prove to everypony how special I am, whether they like it or not!" I told my dad what happened, and he seemed just as shocked as I was. After that event, I went to sleep a vengeful mare.

The next day, one of the friends of Black Flag approached me. "You little scumbag." he said with venom in his voice.

"How am I a scumbag? I just told your stupid, stinky friend the truth. He is nothing, and you are nothing for even becoming his stupid friend. Leave me alone, now."

As he left, I felt this feeling of superiority grow inside me. It felt so good; I wanted to spread it around everywhere I went. After all, words hurt far more than sticks and stones ever could.

* * *

And there we go! Chapter 5 is finished! Another long one! Diamond is finally beginning to transform into her canon self, and her path of destruction will continue for a few more chapters. For now, I leave you with this chapter, so please let me know what you think about it!

Next Chapter: Diamond's newfound superiority complex causes her to begin to bully people through the third and even fourth grade. Will she meet Cheerilee and start harassing the Cutie Mark Crusaders? And how will Filthy Rich react? Find out, next time!


	6. Fragments

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 6

Hey, everypony! Hope May has started out great for you, and I hope you will enjoy this next chapter of A Diamond in the Rough! Here we go!

DisneyPrincess: You'll see later on why Diamond and Spoon got hoof surgery, and the concept of hoof surgery was just something that came into my mind when I wrote the chapter. Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review this story, because your kind words really mean a lot. I'll continue do my best to entertain you and all of my viewers!

PS: Yes, there is swearing in this chapter. Just in case anyone here is sensitive to that.

* * *

After I took Black Flag and his crew down a notch, nopony really bothered neither Silver Spoon nor I anymore. I knew they realized there was no point trying to bring down us, because we were better than them. We were better than most if not all of the ponies that attended our school.

That thought process gave me extra motivation to excel in my academics, so I managed to finish the first semester with all A's, and I noticed my memory was improving.

My "ego" if it were, was boosted right after the first semester, especially after Silver Spoon shouted, "Wow, Diamond! You've gotten so much better at school!"

In response, I simply raised my head and said, "I know. I can best anypony in this school in anything."

The sparkles reappeared in Spoon's eyes, and you could tell that she was impressed by my confidence. As I was walking back home, the thought that stood out in my mind was, "See that, mom? Your little Diamond Tiara is much more awesome then you think! I'll make you proud whether you like it or not!"

During the second semester, my confidence was brimming. I felt no need to make any other friends, since Silver Spoon had stood by me for so long. As a result, nopony besides her really talked with me much during that semester.

Unfortunately, disaster struck again with my bickering parents. During the middle of the second semester, my dad, assured me that my tiara was very eloquent, a statement that held more weight than I believed.

Afterwards, on that very day, I was walking down the hallway when I heard a phone ringing, so I decided to eavesdrop. That…was a bad idea.

Dad started out the conversation by calmly saying, "Look, Diamond has been having…behavioral problems lately and I want to know why, Glamour. Now."

I should have realized this would end in disaster when I discovered my mom was on the other end, but I didn't.

Anyway, I didn't hear what mom said in response to dad, but I assume it related to calling my tiara "tacky."

Considering that I, in a fit of rage, forgot to tell dad what mom said about the tiara, and he never consulted mom about it, his reaction was quite…vulgar.

He yelled, "You said _what_? Diamond was trying to make you a _gift_! She even has a _cutie-mark_ for making jewelry!"

I assume she continued with the argument, "Oh dear there's no way I'll wear a great tiara in public because my 'useless' daughter made it," because my dad continued ranting.

"Diamond could be a business pro right now! She's getting much better at leading, and you want to destroy that progress because of your own goddamn high standards! Fuck you!" and he threw the phone down, enraged, and all that remained of the phone was pile of gears and junk.

I quickly rushed back to my room before dad walked out of his, and it seemed like I was just causing grief for both of them. Still possessing a vengeful spirit, I vowed that I would go to extra lengths to prove to my parents that I was the best daughter out of _all _of the ponies that attended my school. I would make certain that I would stand out from the crowd, make myself look good, and make them look bad.

A few days later, I found that opportunity handed to me on a silver platter. Or spoon. I always forgot how that saying went. But, I digress. Anyway, I saw this pegasus with beige skin, a long brown mane and the thinnest bones I've ever seen. My target…was locked.

I went up to him and shouted, "Hey, skinny! Ever consider eating something?"

"Um…uh…"

"Hah! Pathetic! I bet you can't even speak one sentence without stuttering, you weakling!"

He began to cry. "Why are you being so mean to me?"

I knew I had broken him, so I went in for the kill by saying, "Because I'm better than you. Now, get lost!"

Sure enough, he ran away making these stupid whimpering noises and I simply laughed in triumph. I had broken him in only three sentences! This was easy! All I have to do is keep up my academics and my attitude, and I'd be set for life!

Afterwards, Silver Spoon asked, "Um, Diamond? Don't you think you're being just a little harsh?"

"Absolutely not! He, like, just stood there, I haven't seen him before, and I want to make sure he knows who the boss around here is."

"If you say so, Diamond. Let's get to class."

"Right behind you, Spoon!"

After class, I relished in how good it felt to be able to break somepony, to make sure they knew how awesome and special you were. I know my mom might not think I'm the greatest now, but if I can make sure other ponies know, then I'd be set for life.

To add, throughout most of the second semester, my dad was extra, extra busy, and he didn't seem to have time to talk with me. I was fine with that, because I knew that I could have extra time to prove to my mom, that I'm not only great at making diamond tiaras.

I also used most of my free time to practice my saxophone. Thanks to hoof surgery, I was at the point where many adult ponies dreamed of getting towards, and Mr. Blues was very, very impressed with me. It seemed as if some of Ponyville was beginning to see what I saw. But, I knew I still had a ways to go.

There were absolutely no plays, nor musical events in school, so I could only prove I was the best from my academics. While Silver Spoon did mostly score better than me on tests, there was one math test that I got a "perfect" or 100% on. I could still remember the showering of praise I received.

Only, my most common response to this praise was, "Yeah, I know."

The second semester ended, again, with all A's for both me and Spoon. After we congratulated each other, I walked home to give dad a request.

Fortunately, I actually saw him that day, _not _busy, so I gave my request by saying, "Dad, could you send this report card to mom?"

"I'm not sure, Diamond. I'm very busy so…"

Time to use the Diamond Eyes!

"Please, Dad? I just want to show mom by accomplishments in school!"

With a sigh, he said, "I'll try, OK Diamond?"

"Yay! Thank you!" and with a hug, I left dad with that statement.

During the middle of my first day of the next summer, he responded by saying, "Your mom…has rejected your report card."

"What? Did she say why?"

"I tried calling her, but it didn't work. Sorry, Diamond."

"That sucks!" I yelled while trudging back to my room.

I managed to hear my dad sighing loudly before I slammed the door shut. I couldn't believe it. What the heck did I have to do to impress this staunch perfectionist? Did I have to cure pony cancer? Did I have to make more cash in a business than dad? I was hopelessly lost, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Hello, mom?"

"Oh, dear, please don't tell me this is who I think it is."

"It is. What the heck do I have to do to impress you?"

"Listen to me very closely. Mares cannot take over large businesses in Ponyville that are run by Stallions. So, since you can't go anywhere in life, there's no point in trying to support you. Goodbye."

I couldn't believe my ears. My own mom…gave up on me. She…said I was useless. I was never the type of person who cries, but even I felt my heart sink deep into my stomach, and saw it rain in front of me. I was crushed, both physically and emotionally, and I didn't feel like I could deal with this myself. So, once I stopped crying, I told dad exactly what happened.

"I can't believe that bitch! Damn it! Diamond, I'm going to go give her a piece of my mind!"

"No! Dad! Please! I…don't want you two to argue anymore!"

"She isn't going to get away for what she did to you!" and those were the last words I heard before the door slammed.

I literally felt my heart tearing apart in front of me, and even a class with Mrs. Rhythm couldn't help get this negative energy out of my soul.

When I got back home, my sadness turned into complete rage.

"They…hate me. They…loathe me. They…don't think I'm special. I must be a failure, right? No hoofing way! If I can't get them to love me, then I'll show everypony that I'm the most special! I've made up my mind!" I screamed, punching my pillow until it turned into cotton fluff.

For the rest of the summer, my vengeance grew, until I was finally able to unleash it during school.

Sure enough, when I got back, an opportunity fell right into my hooves. A pony with a pink bow, a red mane, and a really dull yellow body went up to me and said, with a strong southern accent, "Howdy! I'm Apple Bloom!"

"Apple Bloom? Good gravy, you must be poorer than dirt, because there's so much in your mane!"

"What are y'all talking about? Mah sister Applejack brushed mah mane before I came to school!"

"News flash, 'y'all' and 'mah' aren't real words, you bumpkin!"

"Why are y'all being so mean to me? It's mah first day!"

"Actually, I have two reasons. One, I'm the best pony in this school, and I want you to make sure you have that engraved in your feeble little mind, and two, I'm almost certain you're a member of the Apple Family!"

"Why is that a problem?"

"How in Celestia can your poor flanks get so much popularity in Ponyville? Our Barnyard Bargain lines are diminishing because of your stupid existence!"

"Wait a sec, you're a Rich?"

"I'm the one and only Diamond Tiara Rich, you diminutive little piece of dirt! Have some respect for your superiors. Bye, bumpkin!" I said while laughing haughtily.

My teacher for fourth grade was a, relatively young mare named Mrs. Chalk who had a white body and a dark gray mane, and fortunately, she was a very good one. I was almost afraid to raise my hand after my tenure with Miss Lemon, but about one week later, when nopony knew the answer to a fairly difficult math question, I put my hoof up, gave the correct answer, and all was right with the world!

One of my favorite parts about fourth grade was the option to take a chorus class, where the object would be to sing, and eventually perform in a group. But, what really drew my attention to the class was the opportunity to get solos, so I signed up in a heartbeat when I found out about it.

When I entered the room for the first time, I was absolutely shocked to see who the teacher was.

"Miss Rhythm? Is that you?"

"Diamond Tiara? I didn't know you went to this school? It's great to see you!"

"Same here! I can't wait to get better at singing! Thanks for all of the lessons, and I know I'll rise to glory here!"

"Wonderful! Now, could you please take a seat…here?"

I convulsed. That was next to that bumpkin! Not meaning to be rude, I said, "Could I sit next to Silver Spoon? We've been best friends since kindergarten!"

"Hmm…I don't see why not. Go right ahead, Diamond!"

"Yay! Thank you, Mrs. Rhythm!"

Sure enough, Silver Spoon was there as well, and the first few classes, while a tad boring, went very well. I felt at home with a class led by Mrs. Rhythm, because we had great chemistry. Even when I was in a bad mood, I knew a simple chorus class could cure it.

As for the bumpkin, I discovered that she was…rather dumb. I never heard her answer any of the questions neither Mrs. Chalk nor Mrs. Rhythm asked, and Silver Spoon told me that she did relatively poorly on tests, so I knew that was going to be my next target towards destroying her self-esteem. No country bumpkin is ever going to beat me at anything!

The time I struck her was during lunch, when she was literally eating nothing but apples.

I said, "Oh my god, do you want some apples with those apples Mrs. Bumpkin?"

"Mah name is Apple Bloom."

"Really? I'm surprised you even remember your name, after how poorly you've been doing in class."

"I'm doin' mah best and I'm sure you ain't."

"As a matter of fact, I am. What are you, too shy to say anything in class? Do you fear that lil' old pink me is going to judge you? Huh?"

"Don't give me that."

Looking at her flank, I picked a different weak point, "Yeah, well, at least I have an awesome cutie-mark. Where's yours? Oh, right! You don't have one!"

She flinched. "You…'re cutie mark ain't so awesome."

"I can make jewelry in a cinch! I made this tiara in one hour! You can't even change your diet or your way of approaching school! Later…Blank Flank!" I said before walking away.

Looking back, she was crying. I had got her in the palm of my hoof. I had made sure that even the family who stole our profits knew that I was the best. And it felt soooooo good.

* * *

Oh, man. Canon Diamond Tiara is here! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and once again, please let me know about any mistakes or improvements I could make on this story! Have a great day, and enjoy the month of May, everypony!

Next Chapter: Diamond Tiara continues to bully Apple Bloom throughout the fourth grade and into the fifth grade. Diamond also tries to get on the school stage before even getting to fifth grade. Once there, all of the canon ponies like Sweetie Belle and Cheerilee will be introduced. Will Diamond ever stop taunting Apple Bloom? And will there be any canon events? Find out, next time!


	7. Shining Bright

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 7

Hello, everypony! I am here once more to spread a new chapter of A Diamond in the Rough! This is the first chapter with a song in it, and it should take us to the end of 4th grade.

DisneyPrincess: Achievement: Make someone sympathize with Diamond Tiara. YES! You're thanking Discord and not Celestia? You must be banished…to the MOON! Nah, JK! I really appreciate the commitment and time you've taken to read and enjoy this fan fiction, and I hope it will continue to inspire you. Also, soon I might change the way you think about Diamond's mom, so please keep reading!

REDgirl2723: Sounds like you have some great ideas for a fan fiction of your own! I really hope you bring these ideas to life through literature, sign up to this site, and post your own Diamond Tiara story! I would certainly read it, because Diamond Tiara NEEDS more love, and I would definitely try to help you to the best of my ability. Anyway, thanks for the review, and for sharing your ideas. I hope I can continue to inspire you to write about Diamond!

Here we go! Commence Fan Fiction mode!

* * *

I was grinning ear to ear when I saw that poor bumpkin crying, and my mood continued to accelerate when I saw a poster about auditions for the latest drama production!

My eyes sparkled with joy, and I just imagined myself performing in the lead role, acting like a star. My first reaction was to find Silver Spoon and tell her about it, and I did manage to bump into her before class began.

I started the conversation by saying, "Spoon! The drama team is making a new play! I'm totally going to audition for it!"

"That sounds great, Diamond! But…do you mind if I don't audition?"

"No, it's fine! Just think about it, Spoon. The audience staring, bewildered by my awesome acting ability! It's going to make my popularity skyrocket! I'll be known as the most special pony in no time!"

"Alright, sounds great! I'll be sure to arrive there!"

"Thanks, Spoon! Let's get to class."

And so, we made it through the rest of the day, and throughout the entire week, I was thinking about the play. Finally, after a relatively short week, the auditions took place.

The drama director actually changed, because I didn't see Mrs. Bright when I opened the door. Instead, I opened the door to find a pony with the exact same body color as me, only with a purple mane.

She said, "Who iz next?" and I could hear a definite French accent in her voice.

So, knowing French myself, I said, "Bonjour, madam! Je voudrais to audition for this play, s'il vous plait."

"Ah! Vous savez aussi le francais?"

"Oui!"

"Wonderful, let us begin! My name is Miss Fleur!" she said, seeming to be impressed with my knowledge of French.

I completed some drama drills that were quite easy, considering I practiced drama frequently after I was introduced to it, and I also sang and danced very well, thanks in part of Mrs. Rhythm. The next thing I know, tomorrow after the parts were posted, I did indeed get one of the main roles.

Afterwards, I joyfully yelled, "Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh Spoon! I did it!"

"Great job, Diamond Tiara! Bump, bump, sugar lump, rump!"

After school, the practice sessions were quite simple, and I always did my best to ensure that I shined in this performance. I always put my hand up whenever Miss Fleur asked for volunteers, and I made sure that I gave it my all every practice. Needless to say, I got complimented several times, again, usually brushing them off with a swift, "I know."

It was a little difficult memorizing my lines, because I had a good deal of them, but I had more than enough time to make sure I had them down pat. So, when Miss Fleur asked us to memorize our lines, I felt obligated to respond.

"I already have, Miss Fleur, and I can prove it."

"Really, Diamond Tiara? I don't want you do embarrass yourself."

"I _know_ I can do it, Miss Fleur. Give me a chance."

"Alright…one more time, everypony!"

Sure enough, with absolutely no fear, I recited every line cleanly and with emotion during that practice, and as for my reward? More praise, of course! I'm shocked I didn't develop this confidence earlier, because it makes me look great!

Unfortunately, yet again, my mom refused to answer when my dad contacted her about my new lead role (with my Diamond Eyes, of course!) and at this point, I just about gave up trying to please her. However, there was the 1% of my soul that convinced me that if I continued to excel and become the best, she would view me as a success, and not a failure. I _knew_ I wasn't a failure.

As performance day crept closer, I began saying my lines in front of a mirror, to make sure I had all of my cues and gestures down, and soon enough, the night was here.

I had a wonderful costume that I bought for my performance, because I didn't need the tacky dresses the school had. As the dress rehearsal concluded, I clopped up to the stage about to explode with happiness. I knew I would knock this performance right out of the park!

After Miss Fleur finished introducing us, I began my performance, and I made dang sure that it was flawless. It was. Unfortunately, after my performance ended, (I wasn't in the final scene of the play) but before the end of the play, a colt with this ugly yellowish color, and a snail, of all things as his cutie mark, got up to me and said, while blushing, "Great job. You were really good."

Common sense forced me to whisper in his ear and said softly, but with as much venom as I could put into my voice, "Get lost. Now."

Fortunately, he knew that I was going to kill him if he was to ruin my big moment, so he simply hung his head, and walked away.

As we ended the play, the applause was roaring, and I led the applause movements and gestures perfectly. Even though my parents didn't make it, the entire experience was a definite boost to my confidence.

To make matters even better, I, once again, got straight A's for the first semester of fourth grade. Again, I got no response from my mother, so my desire to be the best rose.

During the second semester, my academics did begin to increase if difficulty, but it wasn't too hot for me to handle, per se. To add, towards the beginning of the second semester, there was another school wide event that I felt obligated to attend. That event was known as the Talent Show, and I had an idea of what to perform.

But, before I could do that, I had to laugh in the face of my enemy! I was determined to bring Apple Bloom headfirst into the floors of this school.

When I came across her, I shouted, "Hey, Blank Flank! Going to sign up for the talent show?"

"Nah."

"Why not? You'll only be destroyed by yours truly! I'll perform a song so wonderful and magical, you're precious little jaw will drop."

"I told ya. I ain't performin' and that's that."

"Whatever. You're both a scardy flank and a blank flank! Bye!" I yelled, laughing as I went to class.

After school ended that day, I ran into Silver Spoon.

She started our conversation by saying, "Hey, Diamond, are you doing the talent show?"

"Only heck yes! Want to help my performance by giving me a little piano?"

"I'd be more than happy to, Diamond! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Why did I let Silver Spoon help me out, you may ask? Simply put, it's because I already had the recording of the song. I figured she could use a little boost to her self-esteem, and it might add something to my performance. I was never completely heartless, at least to my friends.

Between the time I signed up and the time the Talent Show began, there were a few school assignments that drove me a little crazy, but I still managed to go into the talent show with all A's.

Considering I linked Silver Spoon the song early on she came up with a great accompaniment a week before the talent show. Oh yeah, we were definitely ready to show this school how much talent we have.

On the night when the talent show began, the performances were absolutely terrible, and some only barely qualified as meager. A terrible violinist, a bad saxophone player that made me want to puke, and a screechy singer were only the icing to the manure cake. Considering that we had signed up last (We did that because of, last but not least/go out with a bang, all those fun sayings) we were prepared a little before our call time. A pony with a purple body, a pink-white mane, and a bunch of yellow flower tops as her cutie mark called us in. I would get to know her better later, but I digress.

By the time we got on stage, the lights were out, and soon, I clopped to get the recording started. The lyrics went like this,

(Lyrics sung to Too Cool: by Camp Rock)

_I'm too cool for this show_

_These songs have it the floor_

_But everypony here don't just yet head for the door_

_Just follow and I'll lead_

_Go and try to be like me_

_But you just cannot compete_

_Love it or hate it_

_Aaaahhh_

_I can't help the way I am_

_Hope you don't misunderstand_

_Cause I'm so cool_

_(So cool)_

_I'm so cool, yeah, it's so true!_

_Don't take it personal_

_Don't get emotional_

_You know it's the truth_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_You think you're hot, but I'm sorry you're not_

_Exactly who you think you are!_

_I'm having fun_

_I'll always be number one_

'_Cause when we walk into the room_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_You're lucky I'm so nice_

_Even I'm surprised!_

_I will still let you be here in my crew_

_I'll show you how it's done_

_If you wanna be someone_

_So, just watch me_

_And you'll learn some_

_Aaaahhh_

_Me, myself, and I agree_

_You'll never catch up with me!_

_Cause I'm so cool_

_(So cool)_

_I'm so cool, yeah, it's so true!_

_Don't take it personal_

_Don't get emotional_

_You know it's the truth_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_You think you're hot, but I'm sorry you're not_

_Exactly who you think you are!_

_I'm having fun_

_I'll always be number one_

'_Cause when we walk into the room_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_See, some are born with beauty, brains, and talent_

_And they've got it all!_

_While others try all their lives,_

_But they might never get the call_

_That's the difference between you and me_

_Obviously!_

_I'm a natural_

_I'm the real deal_

_Yeah!_

_I can't help the way I am_

_Hope you don't misunderstand_

_Cause I'm so cool_

_(So cool)_

_I'm so cool, yeah, it's so true!_

_Don't take it personal_

_Don't get emotional_

_You know it's the truth_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_You think you're hot, but I'm sorry you're not_

_Exactly who you think you are!_

_I'm having fun_

_I'll always be number one_

'_Cause when we walk into the room_

_I'm so cool, it's true!_

_Woo!_

After I finished singing, and jumping while doing the splits in rhythm to the song, the applause was enormous. I simply bowed, gave Silver Spoon some spotlight by pointing my hoof towards her, and it became one of the primary topics in school for about a week. Again, I nonchalantly responded with calm "I know's" to every word of praise I received.

Towards the middle of the second semester, we had a speech on cutie marks. Even though I already had mine, I was interested in what Mrs. Chalk had to see regarding the subject, so I paid attention.

She started by asking, "Now, class, who here has their cutie marks?" to which I proudly raised my hand to.

"Wonderful! Most of you do already! But, I would still like to talk about them. They are marks that you do not get as a child. You have to earn them. And you earn them by keeping an open mind, and by trying new and unique things as a filly. Like all of us, our cutie marks allow us to accomplish a special, unique event or task that other ponies might not or be able to do less quickly. Now then, I would like to give an example. If you look carefully at my flank, you can see that I have a piece of chalk as my cutie mark. This shows that I have a natural talent for teaching students like you, and it also significantly helps me with writing, as chalk is a writing utensil. Would anypony like to tell how they got their cutie mark?"

My hand shot up like a bullet, and Mrs. Chalk said, "Yes, Diamond Tiara?"

"I got my cutie mark by attempting to make a gift from my mom, which was the tiara that is now on my head. I managed to create the entire thing in one hour, but since my mom didn't except my gift, I now wear it myself proudly."

"Very good! Your statement has brought me to my next point. Cutie marks tend to come from experiences that really affect the heart of a pony, the ones that require a lot of passion to accomplish. I remember back when I was about your age, I had decided to become a school tutor, like my mom was. When I was able to teach my younger brother a very complicated science question, my cutie-mark appeared! And don't worry, if you haven't gotten yours yet, there is still plenty of time! Well, that's it! Class dismissed!"

When school ended, Silver Spoon said, "Diamond, is that how you really got your cutie mark?"

"Yes, it is. Did I forget to tell you?"

"Most likely, but don't worry about it! I think I know why, is it because of your mom?"

"On the muzzle."

"Could you tell me more, please?"

"Alright, but promise that you tell nopony about this. Pinkie promise!"

"Um…cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye? Is that how it went?"

"Yes. Anyway, I went to deliver the tiara to my mom as a gift about a year or so ago, and she simply dismissed my kind gift as 'tacky'!"

"Ouch! I'm really sorry about that. Does that explain why you want everypony to know how awesome you are? Because I know you are pretty awesome, Diamond."

"Thanks, Spoon. And once again, you are exactly right. Have a great day!"

As I walked home, I pondered how great to have such a good friend by my side. I felt invincible with Silver Spoon as my friend.

Towards the very end of 4th grade, Mrs. Chalk announced that we would be having a cross-class student group project, and I quickly volunteered to lead my group. My group contained Silver Spoon…but it also had Apple Bloom.

When, I realized this, I said, "Look, Apple Bloom. I don't like you and you don't like me. But, if you do everything I say, I can assure you that we will get an A. Understood?" to that bumpkin as soon as I saw her.

"Fine."

"All right, what type of work are you best at? Art? Writing?"

"A'm a good artist."

"Good. Draw a picture so that I can make sure you aren't lying."

She did, and it actually looked pretty decent. "All right, you've got the job."

Silver Spoon and I handled most of the written work, and under my leadership, no one goofed off during the time we worked on our poster. I made sure I scrutinized whatever I could. Apple Bloom even did a good job artistically. I only rejected one of her pictures, though I would never admit her skill…until now, but whatever.

When we presented our poster, I led, listed the jobs I assigned, and read our work with an assertive voice. After we finished, the applause was enormous, and I might even say it rivaled when I performed my song at the Talent Show. Sure enough, our group got a 100%, the only perfect in the entire grade.

Even Apple Bloom said, "Wow, Diamond Tiara, you're a great leader."

"Yeah, I know, blank flank."

"You're still annoying."

"Hey, your grade improved. Don't blame me just 'cause you'd never be able to lead that well!" and with that I left.

Silver Spoon also congratulated me, and I continued my reign of dominance until the end of 4th grade, once again, getting straight A's.

Our final conversation 4th grade started when Silver Spoon said, "You're going to be a great business leader one day."

"I know, but still, thanks. I'm going to make my mom proud, I just know it! Oh, I almost forgot! Take this, please!" and with that, I handed Silver Spoon a pearl necklace I made for her.

"Wow! This is beautiful! Do you...really want me to have it?"

"Sure! You've been a great friend, so I thought I'd share...a little bit of my specialness with you!"

"So have you, Diamond! Wow, I'm going to wear this every day...for my best friend."

"Thanks. Really, thank you for your friendship. We are going to knock the next grade out of the park!"

"Your confidence is through the roof! Well, see you next year, Diamond, and once again, thank you!" she said, giving me a hug.

"You too, Spoon. Have a great summer!"

And with that, two best friends parted ways…for the entire summer.

* * *

Yay, first song chapter! Expect more lyrics in the near future! Also, come on, I needed a fairly light chapter after those two chapters of rage. Don't worry, conflict will be boiling next chapter, and some canon events will begin to take place. Sorry the canon stuff is taking so long, but it will begin next chapter. Also, after the canon events, Diamond's teenage life will be, for the most part, breezed through, so don't worry, this won't become a novel. Thank you very much for reading, and please let me know any way I can improve. Good night everypony!

Next Chapter: Events transpire that summer that cause Diamond Tiara to go into 5th grade with extra rage. Her path of destruction involves Apple Bloom falling face first in the ground, in her mind. Will Apple Bloom survive Diamond Tiara's onslaught? Will I introduce the other ponies' next chapter? Find out, next time!


	8. Shirveled

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 8

Note: I updated the end of Chapter 7, including more to the final conversation between Diamond and Spoon.

The time has come, once again, for more of A Diamond in the Rough! Thank you all for the feedback! You really have motivated me to write even more of this story.

redgirl2723: Cool! Can't wait for your story to come out! Also, thanks for the favorite!

DisneyPrincess: I'm so glad you liked the song! I actually heard about the song watching a PMV (Pony Music Video) called My Little Rivals: Too Cool, so I can't say I've heard too much about Camp Rock either. Also, just warning you ahead of time, I don't like Discord, so I can't really say he'll be portrayed in a positive light when he arrives. Also, I really like how you continue to read my story even though you are an Apple Bloom fan. That shows fantastic commitment, and shows I've done a great job as a writer. I can't thank you enough for all of your kind words.

McPeach: I'm delighted to see you're back! I'll address both of your reviews. For Chapter 6, I did tone down on the swearing, and I will provide cussing warnings during any chapter where I use profanity. I just believe that M ratings are for stories with gore and sex, which I assure you that I will not use. For Chapter 7, I hate to say it, but I do have many more songs that I will use in this story. I have seen other stories or songfics that incorporate these songs into their story, and the idea is to listen to the song while reading the lyrics, and simply use your imagination to imagine what the characters are doing. I'm also surprised that scene was so tear-jerking. I'll have to keep that in mind, because that wasn't meant to be original intention. Finally, I might just take your idea into consideration. Which one? Read and find out! Once again, thank you for reviewing my fan fiction, and I'm glad you like it!

Here we go! Let's get into the meat of this story, a narrative of Diamond Tiara during canon events!

PS: Again, this has cursing.

* * *

(Back to Diamond Tiara's "present day" room, Journalist's POV)

Ninety minutes. She talked for ninety straight minutes, and managed to get through some of the…more heart-wrenching events without shedding tears, yet I did hear her sniffle a few times.

Even with that, she seemed to be very content being able to let all of these events go from her mouth and onto the big screen. When I made my offer, I've seen other ponies that have just shut their doors in my face, but Mrs. Tiara simply exploded with joy, and told me her past in absurd detail. She still had just made it past fourth grade in her tale and yet I was already completely sympatric for her. I greatly admired her courage for going through this. But, I digress.

After those ninety minutes, I heard a fairly loud throaty cough coming from her, so I said, "Mrs. Tiara? Would you like to take a break?"

She coughed again. "Sure! I'm famished anyway. I'll go ask the butlers to make me some breakfast, and I'll heat up some chamomile tea."

"The tea sounds wonderful. May I please have some, Mrs. Tiara?"

"Hmm…sure! I'll just get you a cup as well!" and with that she left.

Seconds later, I heard her yell, "White Handkerchief! Could you tell the butlers to get me some scrambled eggs, pronto?"

"Sure thing, malady."

And with that, she went to make the tea, and got back right before she got her food from White Handkerchief.

"Here are you are, malady." he said as he handed Diamond the perfectly cooked eggs.

If you ask me, he's actually relatively content for having such a crappy job, but I've never been a butler myself.

"Thank you. Do you have a fork?"

"Yes. Here you are."

"Thank you again."

And with that, White Handkerchief, matching Mrs. Tiara's description of him to a T, left her office.

She then placed the coasters, then the rather large pink teacups on top of them, before pouring herself some tea. Then, she set the pitcher down. I then filled my cup with some tea, and placed the warm liquid to my lips.

I said, "This tea is very good. The flavor is very full."

"Cool. I found a great recipe for it, so it's nice other people enjoy it."

"Have I introduced myself yet?"

After taking a substantial sip, she said, "No."

"Well, my name is Photo Frame. I've been a journalist for about ten years."

After a brief yawn, she said, "That's nice. So, when exactly are you going to put this on air?"

"If you can finish your tale today, we should be able to televise it three days from now. Also, could you please sing the song you sang in the talent show? It gives the viewers a chance to hear your talents, as this will be broadcast in places besides Ponyville."

"How could I argue with that logic?" she said, clearing her throat before singing.

She had a lovely, powerful singing voice, and with the notes she reached, I could only assume she was a soprano. A dang good one, at that.

"You have a great singing voice. I'm sure the viewers will love your songs. Could you please sing any other songs that you remember when you get to them?"

"Sure thing!" she said, and after slipping those magic gloves on her hooves, she was able to grab her fork and eat her now relatively lukewarm breakfast.

She ate very calmly and gracefully. Even watching her eat had a reverberating reflection of her eloquence and lady like presence. I really did enjoy talking with her, but I also made sure I did not come off as flirting, because I assumed she already had a lover, being the beautiful mare she was.

After about a half an hour, she finally gave me the green light to start recording.

* * *

(16 years ago: Diamond Tiara's 4th grade summer)

Walking home, I could feel how much my self-confidence rose during my 4th grade year. Again, my dad wasn't there when I returned, saying that he had to take about a week off due to a huge business "convention" as he put it, so I hadn't been able to tell him about my awesome leadership skills.

I didn't mind, though, because I knew he would be back tomorrow, so I decided to practice my voice. Using some of the feedback I received from Miss Rhythm, I noticed my voice became less "forced" as she called it and the reverberations were clear as diamonds, unmitigated even. After being pleased with the results of my voice, I simply practiced my saxophone before eating dinner and going to sleep.

When my dad got back the next morning, I told him about my endeavors as a leader, and he said he was really, really proud of me. I felt loved by at least one of my parents, and it felt great.

But…as usual…my mom wasn't impressed. I could tell it wasn't my leadership that worried her, but the fact that I worked with Apple Bloom, (yes, I eavesdropped on dad telling mom about a week after I told him, and I know I'll never learn) led to one of the worst arguments I had ever heard between my parents.

Mom started this argument by yelling to dad, "You royal pain in the flank! You raised a traitor!"

"What? Why do you _always_ think our daughter is trying to harm you?"

"Don't you _dare_ give me that mule shit! She made friends with our enemy and you can't tell me otherwise!"

"She _never_ said that! She just happened to be in Diamond's group, and Diamond couldn't switch groups! Bitch, why do you have to hurt our daughter?"

"She's your little abomination! Not _ours!_ So take your flank and get the hoof out of my life! Keep that parasprite away from me!"

The first thing I did was instantly assume that I was hallucinating, and went to sleep instantly, even though it was an hour before my bedtime.

But…it didn't go away.

The next thing I know, I had a nightmare that very night. Take a wild guess what it was about. If you guessed my parents hating me for the fact that I "made friends" with Apple Bloom, then good job! You aren't helping!

Allow me to detail this nightmare. I was trapped in a sphere composed entirely of nightmare matter (the magic Nightmare Moon used) and about five seconds later, two gigantic heads, one being mom, the other being dad, came up to me on either side, and began chanting.

Their chant was, "Diamond…we _hate_ you…why do you exist…you should be sent to the moon…you suck…yes…"

"Leave me alone! I'll make it up! I'll be as ruthless as you want! Please! I'm not a failure! I'm not a failure! I'm not a flanking failure!"

"Yes you are! Go away! In fact, we will _destroy you now_!"

The next thing I know, my parents turned into Nightmare matter, and began to choke me. Even though it was a dream, I do remember crying, and feeling so much pain, I wanted to just die! Fortunately, after only ten seconds of being tortured, I woke up. I didn't want to get back to sleep, so I went into my dad's office to listen to the recording of the conversation my parents had.

Sure enough, my mom said the exact things I had heard, and I knew from then on I wasn't dreaming. My parents hated me…just for cooperating with a group project and showing my leadership. We got a perfect, for Celestia's sake! I even called Apple Bloom a blank flank afterwards! Was that…really…not enough? That appeared to be the only reasonable conclusion. I thought day and night during the entire summer about how to get my parents to at least think I shouldn't have been aborted, and that thought soon turned into a parasprite that devoured my soul, and almost destroyed my entire heart.

Before I turned into a rabid sociopath, I discovered that I hadn't teased enough fillies. My superiority complex was too low. My efforts to get everypony to notice me…were not enough. And, most importantly, I hadn't treated Apple Bloom, my enemy as simply a stain on my hoof. Well, during 5th grade, I was going to make sure I accomplished _all_ of those objectives.

About a week before school, I looked in the mirror and said, "I _will_ make them fear me. They'll see that I'm by far the best around! I'll make every blank flank realize that I'm the one who is the queen filly in this school. And, most importantly, I'll make my parents proud! They'll see how special I truly am, just like everypony else! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

With the feeling of vengeance consuming my soul, I walked all the way to school with the evilest smile I could muster. When I saw Silver Spoon she did seem to be concerned about me.

She said, "Diamond, are you alright?"

"Ah ha ha! I've never been better! Let's go show fifth grade which fillies are the bosses around here!"

"Alright, let's do this!"

Our teacher, who I would have for sixth grade, was named Miss Cheerilee. She was a dark purple pony with a light shade of pink as her mane color, and had a bunch of yellow smiley-faced flower tops as her cutie-mark. When we first walked in the room, Cheerilee had a seating chart up on the chalk board, marked permanent.

Looking closer at it, I was sitting right next to Apple Bloom!

"Yes!" I screamed, and took my seat.

About two minutes later, when Apple Bloom arrived, I shouted in a loud taunting voice, "Hey, Blank Flank! Guess who you are sitting next to this year!"

"Wh…oh mah gosh! Celestia must really hate me!"

"That's right! You are, like, totally dead this year! I'll make sure of it! Ah ha ha ha!"

"Oh no! Why? Why?" she screamed before taking her seat and performing a nice head desk. Oh…I could not _wait_ for this year to begin!

Of course, like any good victim, she tried to say, "Miss Cheerilee! Ah can't work with Diamond Tiara! Please, for the love of Celestia, move me!"

"No need to worry, Miss Cheerilee, Apple Bloom is just nervous about her first day of fifth grade! She's always like this!" I said, performing my patented Diamond Eyes, just without the pout this time. As planned, Cheerilee ignored Apple Bloom's plea, and class began.

I almost never bother ponies during class, because I actually do try my best to pay attention to any new material. But, just to make a statement that I meant business this year, after all of the classes ended, I tripped Apple Bloom.

Once she fell, I yelled, "Wow, you're clumsy, Blank Flank! Pressure of school too much for your stupid little brain? Later!" I said, laughing all the way out the door.

I didn't do any major pranks to Apple Bloom until about 10 days later, where Miss Cheerilee conducted a speech about…cutie marks? Dear Celestia, I've heard this already!

Cheerilee started by saying, "Let's quiet down please. We have a very important lesson to get to! Thank you. Today we are going to be talking about cutie marks."

"Boring…" I whispered.

"You can all see my cutie mark, can't you? Like all ponies, l wasn't born with a cutie mark. My flank was blank."

Then, a pony named Twist, with a beige body, an uncombed red mane, and glasses that were stupider than Silver Spoon's said, "Aww, Thee's tho precious!" Celestia, gag me, I think I just puked in my mouth after _that!_

"Then one day, when l was about your age, l woke up to find that a cutie mark had appeared!" Cheerilee said, while I had to look at one of the saddest sights I've ever seen, Cheerilee as a teenager. Dear Celestia, braces and a mane that was worse off than Twist's?

We laughed and she responded. "Yes l know, but honestly, that's how everypony was wearing their mane back then. l had decided to become a teacher, and the flowers symbolized my hope that l could help my future students bloom if l nurture them with knowledge. The smiles represented the cheer l hope to bring to my little ponies while they were learning. Now, can anyone tell me when a pony gets his or her cutie mark?"

Twist, ugh, again responded. "Oh! Oh! Oh! When thee discovers that certain something that makes her spethial!" and after that, I'm surprised I didn't pass out to due to the copious amount of puke that had accumulated in my mouth.

I had toned out at this point, and tried to get Apple Bloom to pass a note to Silver Spoon, a routine that we worked on before school, and sure enough, Cheerilee caught her right as I handed her the note.

I used my Diamond Eyes again, and as Cheerilee was wondering what was on the note, she soon discovered that it was blank. What? I wasn't heartless enough to use the old, mock the teacher/blame others for it note? Well...yeah!

After my prank had taken effect, I sealed the deal by saying, "Remind you of anypony?" and then proceeding to laugh my flank off.

Soon after class, Spoon and I had staged another routine.

This one started with me walking up to Apple Bloom and Twist, then saying, "I don't know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie mark. I mean, waiting for your cutie mark is so last week. You got yours, I've got mine. We all have them already. Oops, I mean, almost all of us have them already. Don't worry, you two, you're still totally invited to my cute-ceañera this weekend."

Then, Silver Spoon continued by saying, "It's going to be amazing!"

"It's a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie mark! How could it not be! Bump, bump, sugar lump, rump!"

Apple Bloom, feeling gloomy as ever, making me feel so wonderful, said, "Gimme a break."

Then, Silver Spoon said, "See you at the party!" and finally we ended with a simultaneous quoting of my favorite sentence, "Blank Flanks!"

Finally, while laughing, we walked away.

"That was perfect, Spoon! You're getting the hang of this!"

"Thanks, Diamond. I do feel a little bad, though."

"Don't be. Apple Bloom is part of a family that is the Rich's sworn enemy."

"Why?"

"Because we have to pay royalties to them on Zap Apples. If we monopolized them, we could be the richest family in Equestria, but no! Those stupid "rights" belong to Apple Bloom's family."

"Oh, that explains it! Alright, I won't feel sorry anymore."

"Good. Thanks, Spoon."

Soon enough, I saw Apple Bloom talking to Twist, who had just gotten a cutie mark! Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better!

After Twist asked if Apple Bloom was going to come to my cute-ceañera, I responded for her. "Of course she will!"

Silver Spoon followed me up. "It's not like being the only pony there without a cutie mark, would be, like, the most embarrassing thing ever!" Then, Apple Bloom gave me one of the saddest faces I've seen from anypony. This day was going to be absolutely perfect!

As the afternoon approached, I knew the decorations had to be perfect, and when I arrived in Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville's bakery, led by the most hyper pony in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie, to check, they most certainly were.

I picked up my gift, and met up with Silver Spoon, like I planned, and I told her about the dress that lay inside of the box.

She followed up. "Your new outfit is, like, perfect for the party!"

"I know. It totally shows off my cutie mark."

"I love being special!"

I shuttered than said, "Can you imagine how embarrassing it must be to be...not special?"

"I don't even want to, like, think about it."

"Yeah. My cutie mark makes up about 90% of who I am. If I lose it…oh boy. That would suck!" I shouted, concluding the conversation feeling a little unclean. Looking back, I really think that Silver Spoon is neutral about having a cutie mark. However, since she is a good, cooperative friend, she sympathized with my concern. I was and still am very thankful for her constant friendship.

My cute-ceañera began decently, considering that most of the school arrived to praise my awesome dress, but soon enough a small problem occurred.

Snails thought it would be a good idea to eat HALF of the cake that I had intended to eat first, so the first thing out of my mouth when he did so was, "Hey! It's my cute-ceañera, I'm supposed to get the first bite at cake!" and he just swallowed the whole thing. That glutton!

Soon enough, I came face to face with Apple Bloom wearing a pink tablecloth, looking as if her sister, Applejack, who I also hated, blocked her from exiting.

I started by saying, "Well, well, well, look who's here!"

Silver Spoon chimed in. "Nice outfit!"

Apple Bloom then said, "Just sum'n I pulled together last minute."

"It really shows off your cutie mark…oh right! You don't have one!" I responded.

"Um…I have a cutie-mark."

That was a total bluff, and Silver Spoon tried to call it. "Eh, what? Since when?"

"Since…um…earlier today."

What a liar. I wished her flank would catch on fire to burn that stupid tablecloth to show how blank her flank was.

This time, I called her bluff. "Oh, really? Let's see it."

"I shouldn't, I couldn't. Mah cutie mark is so unbelievably amazing, I'm afraid that if I show it off, everyone will start paying attention to me instead of you. Outshined at your own cute-ceañera, can you imagine how embarrassing that would be?"

Dang! Her wit was quicker than I anticipated. I decided I'd find another way to make fun of her. "Uh, forget it. I didn't really want to see it anyway."

"Alright! Imma go mingle! Enjoy your party!"

She then proceeded to TRIP over her own tablecloth, and landed right on the record, exposing her blank flank to everyone! Celestia was kind to me that day!

The instant Spoon and I saw it, we went over.

Silver Spoon, getting much better at insulting started by saying, "Wow! That IS an amazing cutie mark!"

Then, I followed up. "Nice try!"

Finally, we delivered the knockout punch by simultaneously yelling, "Blank Flank!"

But, just when I thought this day couldn't get any better, it took a nasty, NASTY turn for the worse.

This idiotic pegasus with an orange body and a purple mane, and a white-bodied unicorn with a curly pink and purple mane stepped up in front of Apple Bloom.

The peagsus, named Scootaloo, was first to speak. "You got a problem with blank flanks?"

Before I could counter, Spoon stepped in. "The problem is, she's like, totally not special."

The unicorn, named Sweetie Belle countered Spoon's counter. "No, it means she's full of potential."

Afterwards, Scootaloo chimed in. "It means she could be great at anything. The possibilities are, like, endless!" Did I mention she imitated us when saying that last sentence?

"She could be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer, she could even be mayor of Ponyville someday!" Total mule crap.

"...and she's not stuck being stuck-up like you two."

Angered, I responded by saying, "Hey, this is my party, why are you two on her side?"

Oh, no reason, only because of the fact that all three of them were blank flanks! Normally, I would be thrilled at this. But…after _every single pony in my party_ walked over to them and began _praising_ them for not knowing what in the broken hoof they are good at, I began to get a little ticked.

I almost screamed, "Hey, what's everypony doing? This is _my_ party, everypony is supposed to be paying attention to _me_!"

Silver Spoon tried to cheer me up. "Whatever. We still think you're all losers, right Diamond? Bump, bump, sugar lump, rump?" but it failed.

"Not now, Spoon. Just…not now."

I walked out of Sugarcube Corner from the backdoor, udderly shocked and defeated. How in the unholy name of Celestia's plucked feathers did these idiotic blank flanks steal my party, by claiming some the the biggest hoofwash I've ever heard in my life?

I quickly came to the conclusion that blank flanks had abnormally huge egos, and tried to hide the fact that they were too lazy to, or just can't freaking find their cutie-mark by claiming that they could be good at everything.

Well, guess what, morons? I already _have _my cutie mark, I can play the saxophone, act, and sing better than most ponies in my grade, and I have leadership skills that even the most successful adult ponies envy. I not only hated Apple Bloom from that day, I also hated every single blank flank that plagued Equestria. I was by far the superior pony, and I was determined to make absolutely certain to prove that everypony, _especially_ blank flanks, had _nothing_ on me. End of story!

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Oh, boy, this story is beginning to heat up in a big way! At long last, I covered the first canon event from Diamond's perspective! Thank you all for sticking with me through this very long chapter, and please tell me what you think about it!

Next Chapter: The Cutie Mark Crusaders sing their song and…yeah you know where this is going. Discord might also appear, as well as Dinky and little Pipsqueak! Will Diamond ever let their horrible stage presence slide? And what will happen to Diamond's mother, Glamour Tiara? Find out, next time!


	9. Screwed Up

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 9

Whew! I was busy today! I got my story uploaded onto Deviant art at last, and I made many, many revisions onto my previous chapters, so take a look at them if you'd like. Without further ado, here is the ninth chapter of A Diamond in the Rough!

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After I swore vengeance against all of the blank flanks who had ruined my cute-ceañera with their false accusations, I went back into Sugarcube Corner only to find the place deserted and Silver Spoon waiting.

Once she saw me, she said, "Diamond…I'm really sorry."

I waved my hoof, then said, "It's fine. I can recover from this. But, dang, those were the stupidest things I've heard. The day Apple Bloom becomes the mayor is the day Twist becomes the most popular girl in this school."

"Hah! Good one, Diamond. I have heard some pretty dumb things, though."

"Is that so? Where?"

"I remember when I was working as a sous chef for a really run down restaurant. One day, the bust boy said that he would become the manager, when he could barely walk ten paces before tripping!"

"Ah ha ha! That _is_ pretty stupid! What an idiot! Well, I've got to go home. Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"No problem Diamond! Glad we're still friends!" and with that, I left her in Sugarcube Corner.

It was pretty dark out, but I memorized my route home, so it didn't affect me. I could walk home in my sleep now. When I entered the mansion, I called out for dad, but I got White Handkerchief instead.

He said, "Yes, malady? Do you need anything?"

"Do you know where dad is?"

"I'm afraid he had to go to a business meeting."

"Again? What for this time?"

"Some…stocks we were purchasing suddenly plummeted in value and your father believes it was a result of corrupt business actions. We don't want to lose money, so your father is at the negotiation table."

"Really? Why didn't he bring me along?"

"I know you are a great leader, malady, but his business conferences allow absolutely no minors to participate. Please accept my apologizes."

"It's cool. It isn't your fault the rules are stupid. Later."

As I left, I pondered who really did create the rules of business. Did Stinkin' Rich have any part in it? But, that thought process took me nowhere, so I just did a little homework and went to bed, once again, vowing vengeance on Apple Bloom.

Cheerilee began to crack down, and the lessons became tougher over the span of the week, so I was unable to taunt Apple Bloom much. She's been getting stupidly lucky lately, and it brought my blood to a boil.

But, soon, I found someone who I was able to take out all of my pent up rage on. A small colt, with a body paler than Sweetie Belle's, a brown mane, slightly smaller than the first pony I ever bullied, who was named Featherweight, and a brown spot on one eye, went up to me.

He said, with a British accent, "Hi, I'm Pipsqueak! And you are?"

"You're name is Pipsqueak? Ah ha ha ha! Oh man, your parents must have _hated_ you! Get lost, shrimp!"

"I'm sorry, but could you answer my question?"

"I'm Diamond Tiara, the best pony in this school! Don't forget it, alright shrimp?"

"Cool."

"Oh, and did another bully beat you up? Your eye looks swollen with that stupid spot on it!"

"No, this is natural."

"You…have no idea what I'm trying to do, do you?"

"Not really. I'm only about 8."

"Yeah, I'm in fifth grade. Leave _now_."

"OK!" he said, simply walking away from me.

"Geez, that was weird. I do feel a little better though."

After that…strange event, I walked home for the weekend, and simply tried to relax all of my stress away by focusing much more on my saxophone, singing, and dancing than I did, almost any other weekend I've been though up to this point. I really did feel relaxed going into next week.

But, that relaxation soon turned into pure bliss when I figured out at the beginning of that week Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were going to participate in the next talent show, at the end of said week!

I wondered what would be the best way to make absolutely certain that their experience on stage would be an absolute nightmare, and in the middle of the week, just as the bell rang, I decided I would bring my video camera to the talent show and _tape_ them!

Since Apple Bloom was right by me when I came up with my brilliant idea, I said, "Hey, Blank Flank. How would you like it if I recorded your performance for the talent show?"

"Don't ya dare."

"Ah ha ha! Blank Flank, you should know me better than that by now. I'm going to make your time on stage miserable!"

"Well, we ain't gonna fail, so quit dreamin'!"

"Prove it. I'll be there, with my camera!" I concluded, giggling like a maniac as I walked out the door.

The next day, before school, I said, "Hey Spoon, guess what I'm going to do for the talent show?"

"Another song?"

"Nope, I'm going to bring my video camera, and record the entire performance of those Blank Flanks!"

"Wow…that's pretty cruel, but after what they did to you, I don't really blame you too much."

"Meh. I'll see you at the talent show, Spoon!"

With that, we finished the next two days of classes easily before finally going into the big night.

The first two acts were absolutely abysmal. Snails and his obese blue bodied, brown maned friend Snips failed performing a magic act, and two other ponies said poetry…on rolling skates.

Dear Celestia, why did I not go on stage again? Oh…right, I wanted to see and record the "Cutie Mark Crusaders" (Worst. Name. Ever.) fail!

Sure enough, once I had started recording, the CMC came out wearing…dear Celestia, everytime I think I see the worst things ever to be put on a pony, like Cheerilee's braces and mane, someone outperforms them. Their costumes were _horrid_! And the singing…they picked Scootaloo, their worst singer to lead the song! There wasn't even any background music! It…was…perfect! Perfect blackmail, that is! Once they finished their song, with props collapsed all over them, everypony in the audience started laughing at them. After the laughter ended, I left, with all of the wonderful, wonderful footage on tape. They should have known not to crash my party without expecting consequences!

I went into that weekend in a complete state of ecstasy, and that feeling carried into next week. Unfortunately, early on, another pony "introduced" herself to me. This one was a filly unicorn with a gray body and a blond mane.

She said, "Hi, I'm Dinky Hooves! I'm new here!"

"Hooves? Wait a second, aren't you related to that mare with those crossed eyes and who crashes into everything? So, I'm guessing you're very clumsy right?"

"Hey, don't make fun of my mother!" She was just making this _way_ too easy for me.

"And doesn't she have a muffin addiction?"

"Hey! Stop it!"

"Relax, I wasn't even done yet! How come you are a unicorn, and she is a peagsus? Did she mingle with an earth colt?"

"Gah! Leave me alone!" and with that, she left. Truth be told, I didn't mind Derpy Hooves, Dinky's mother, too much. She was a little amusing to watch crashing into stuff and bothering other ponies. I also remember doing an imitation of her, in front of her, that was intended to be insulting, but she actually complimented me on it. True, she was pretty slow mentally, but I liked ponies that could laugh at themselves when confronted with their flaws, even back then, and I especially liked ponies who complimented me.

Anyway, after that obvious overreaction, I made it to class, and then, after the lessons, when Cheerilee was out the door, I showed Apple Bloom the tape I had recorded all of their blunders on.

Apple Bloom's face distorted into one of pure fear, and she said, "You…really…were…serious. You…_monster_!"

"That's right. I now have blackmail against all three of you. I don't remember seeing anypony in this class watching you three, so I could tell Miss Cheerilee to show the tape to the class…if I wanted."

"Give me that tape!" Oooooh, she was mad.

"Why should I?"

"Because nopony is that cruel to me or my family! Now hand it over!"

She then proceeded to jump on me. She began to punch me, and since I didn't want to get in trouble or cause Apple Bloom to get sent to the hospital, I was very defensive. It took about a half a minute, I'd say, before Cheerilee rushed back in the room, and broke the right up between us two. I hadn't nicked Apple Bloom at all, but she made a relatively large cut in front on my forehead.

After the fight stopped, Cheerilee said, "Alright, fillies. Tell me what happened, this instant."

"I don't know, Miss Cheerilee! I was just talking to her, and all of a sudden, she just jumped on me and started attacking me! I didn't fight back, I swear!" I defensively claimed.

"That's a lie! She did!"

"Apple Bloom, you were not injured at all, so Diamond could not have fought back. Detention. Right here. One month."

"What? She has a tape of our talent show performance, and she's gonna use it as blackmail!"

"Diamond, is this true?"

I actually decided to tell the truth about this…somewhat. "Yes, I have that tape, but I swear I wasn't going to use it as blackmail!"

"I see. My decision is final. Diamond, you may go."

"Thank you, Miss Cheerilee!" I said, giving Apple Bloom my worst evil grin before leaving.

I honestly really intended the whole…blackmail thing to be used as a threat, because I really wasn't THAT cruel. However, my mother, once she heard about the news, before the fight really took place, she actually encouraged using it as blackmail.

Normally, if a mother said that, the child would look at her as if she had gone off of her meds, but this was the first time my mother had actually _agreed_ with something that I did! And, since I was a huge family mare, I made _sure_ tell Apple Bloom I would use the tape as blackmail.

However, before I could actually tell Miss Cheerilee to play it to the class…complete disaster struck. Two days after Apple Bloom got detention, which I surprisingly don't remember mocking her about during those days, we took an actual field trip.

This was the first field trip I had actually been through, so I was legitimately interested as to where we would go to. Turns out, we were going to the Canterlot sculpture garden, which was very, very cool.

Once we arrived, Cheerilee said, "I want to start our field trip here in the world-famous Canterlot sculpture garden. That one over there represents Friendship. Alright my little ponies, this one represents Victory."

And of course, the "crusaders" had to spoil my tour of these awesome statues by being themselves.

Scootaloo started the carnage by saying, "How cool would it be to have that for a cutie mark?"

Then, Apple Bloom said, "Cool, if you were actually victoryful at somethin'."

Sweetie Belle responded. "That's not a word!"

Then, Scootaloo countered Sweetie Belle. "What are you, a dictionary?"

Cheerilee put a...temporary stop to this nonsense by shouting, "Girls! Now this is a really interesting statue. What do you notice about it?"

Apple Bloom said, "It's got an eagle claw!"

Scootaloo followed with, "And a lion paw!"

Finally, Sweetie Belle said, while flapping her arms, "And a snake tail!"

Cheerilee, again, halted the madness by saying, "This creature is called a draconequus. He has the head of a pony and a body of all sorts of other things. What do you suppose that represents?"

And, once again, it didn't last, because Apple Bloom instantly replied by saying, "Confusion!"

Then, Sweetie Belle said, "Evil!"

And Scootaloo finished off by saying, "Chaos!"

Sweetie Belle was the first to "call her bluff" per se, by saying, "It's not chaos, you dodo!" Ouch, that insult made me proud! And I'm not even kidding, that was pretty good!

Then, Scootaloo responded, poorly might I add. "Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of, and it is too chaos!"

"Is not!"

Finally, Apple Bloom said, "You're both wrong!" and then they fought with each other. You know, at least I learned at an early age that fighting gets you nowhere, but these three were up at each other's throats over a stupid point! I didn't even have to _imply_ anything to get them fighting!

At long last, Cheerilee's fuse had run out of space, and she broke up the fight by saying, "Actually, in a way, you're all right. This statue represents Discord, which means a lack of harmony between ponies. In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so well, that you're each going to write me an essay explaining it."

Wah, wah wah! It's a shame I can't play a trombone, because then would have been the perfect time to play the ultimate "fail" theme.

But…they still didn't listen, and Apple Bloom ignited the feud again by saying, "It's confusion!" and then the two others countered with their own cryptic, politically correct explanation of a _statue_! Ugh. I bet they didn't even do the stupid essay.

After the field trip, I noticed many…odd things were occurring in Ponyville. Rabbits had stilt legs, the apple trees had abnormally large apples, it was raining _liquid chocolate_, and there was popcorn everywhere. Those are mirages you see after inhaling ecstasy (Yes, it exists here), and yet, they were really happening. I could literally gulp down the chocolate milk, and it tasted like hoofing chocolate milk.

But…that wasn't even the bad part. No, no, no. The _bad _part started later on in that day, when my dad came running home in one of the worst states I've ever seen. His mane looked worse off than Twist's, he was convulsing, and his face was one of pure fear.

When he finally managed to catch my breath, he said, "Diamond…come with me…please."

"What is it, Dad?"

"Just…follow me…you need to see this…for yourself."

"Sure enough I followed him, only to see the core of Ponyville was in even worse shape than the outside. The floor had been revamped to a pink and white checkerboard that was heavily undulated, _pies_ were rising, and I think the town hall was levitating a_nd_ upside-down.

But, that wasn't even the worst part. After about five minutes of looking, dad and I came face to face with a flying pony, motor boating her lips, with a green propeller hat, swirly light-purple eyes, a body that had my color, and a mane with my colors, except it looked especially messy. She clearly was anything but sane, and seemed to be the epitome of chaos. She also, looked…very similar…to my mother. After assuring myself that wasn't the case, after about an hour, after I had made it back home, my dad told me the entire story, which he was an eye-witness to.

He said, "Diamond, we need to talk about that flying pony."

"Do you know her?"

He sighed deeply, and then said, "Only too well. She is now being checked into a mental hospital."

"What are those?"

"Those are places where the mentally sick are kept under watch so that they do not bother other…normal ponies."

"Why is this important, Dad?"

He sighed, even deeper this time, as he told me the absurdly unpleasant truth, which was, "Diamond…that pony…was once…your…mother."

"WHAT? I don't believe you, I just don't flanking believe you! That…abomination CAN'T be her!"

"It is. Discord, the…thing who caused all of this insanity, when released from his statue, released a wave of energy that took hold of poor Glamour and turned her…into that."

"No…noooooooo! Why does my life suck so badly! I need to see her…where is she?"

"Here are the directions. Good luck, Diamond!" is what I imagined he said, because he handed me the directions and I blanked out after being told that…disgusting...monster was my mother!

I ran as fast as I could, and demanded to the receptionist that I speak with Glamour Tiara, my mother.

Unfortunately, she said, "We do not have 'Glamour Tiara' on our list."

"Then who was the most recent pony who checked in!"

"Her name is…Screwball."

"I need to see her…now!"

"Very well."

With that statement, I hurried over to Screwball's room.

When she saw me, she said, "Hi! Like my propeller? It makes 'brrrrrr' noises!"

"Mom, it's me, Diamond Tiara, your daughter!"

"Wow! I have a daughter? Cool, let's play hide and seek!"

"This isn't funny, Mom! I don't want to play hide and seek!"

"OK, what do you want to play?"

"Let's play the memory game. I tell you something, and you have to tell me if you remember it. If you don't…you get a point…3 points...and I'll leave…" I barely choked out.

"OK, let's begin!"

"First off, do you remember how I got the tiara that's on my head?"

"Uh…you bought it?"

"One point…for you…" I choked again, almost in tears at this point.

Then, I said, "Second, do you remember this colt?" showing her a picture of dad.

"Nope! Never seen him in my life!"

"That's…your…second…point…" I said, with water forming in my eyes.

Finally, I said, "Third, do you even remember your actual name?"

"Of course, silly! It's Screwball!"

That did it. I began crying. I couldn't _believe_ what Discord had done to my family!

I finished our meeting by screaming, "Fine! Three points! You win! Happy? I'm not!" and then I ran out, still crying, barely hearing a cheer escaping from Screwball.

Discord wasn't a monster. He wasn't even a thing. From then on, he was evil incarnate to me.

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I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and there will be more to come!

Next chapter: Diamond is crushed by the loss of her mother to Discord, and begins to wonder if even going to school is worth it, carrying all of this pain on her back. Will Diamond manage to recover from this latest traumatic moment? And will there be more canon events? Find out, next time!


	10. Destruction

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 10

Hey, everypony, DarkShock has returned, again! Now, then, I may be a little late getting this out, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

DisneyPrincess: Congratulations! You just gave me one more reason why Celestia is better than Discord; she can turn people into stone! Nah, JK! Also, for your Chapter 9 review, I actually did decide to incorporate a fandom element (that Screwball is Diamond's mom) because I thought it would create drama. Looks like it did! I also tried to not make Screwball hate able, she seems sort of like Pinkie with her fun-loving spirit if she became insane, and so I hope that worked as well too! I'm so glad you are continuing to review and enjoy this story, and there will be more!

McPeach: Ah, two more reviews! For Chapter 8, I'm glad you thought I handled the interruption well, and I will continue to do quite a few more of those scenes! I may decide to take another one of your suggestions for this chapter as well. For Chapter 9, Gaaahh! I can't believe I said hand again! It's hoof! Geez, I've got to be more careful! I did fix it though. Also, yes, Screwball IS pink, purple, and white. Just look at a picture if you don't believe me. Thank you for your constant reviews and support!

Here we go! Time for the 10th chapter!

Again, there is swearing in here.

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I walked home with a trail of tears behind my every step. How could someone be that soulless as to destroy someone's family? I may tease, and I may have been mean, but I know family is one of the most sacred parts of a person, so I would _never_ try to scar them in that way.

As I walked, the only words I heard coming out of my dad's mouth before I ended this horrible day was, "Diamond, I'm sorry. Sorrier than I've ever been in my life."

Discord…was beyond a monster. Even after he had been turned back into stone, one day, I spit on his statue three times yelling, "You _asshole_!" repeatedly, before heading back home.

I couldn't go to school in this state. The slightest act of wrongdoing against me, I knew would send me into an unquenchable rage, and I didn't know how many ponies I would hurt in that state. I spent the next week in my room, doing my very best not to shed tears, and to forget about this entire situation. I couldn't. The butlers had to deliver my food to my room for about two straight weeks, and I had to spend another week recovering from the blow I just received before I felt like I could head back to school.

But, on the very last day of the second week, curiosity about my mother lingered over me, until it eventually possessed me to get more info from dad about her.

I approached him, and said, "Dad, could you tell me more about mom? Why does she hate us so much?"

After a huge sigh, dad cleared his throat and began his tale. "Alright, Diamond. I believe it's about time you know the truth about Glamour. She married me off of the promise that she would split the profits of my business 50/50, but the royalties he had to pay to the Apple family left her unsatisfied with the those bits. She thought I was too old to be able to find a loophole since I had to continue to pay royalties, so she thought we should create a male heir only after gender control pills were made. But, I insisted that they create the heir now, and it turned out to be you, a female, who couldn't inherit our business. Enraged, she broke up with me and did all she could to make sure the relationships between the Apple family and the Rich family stayed bitter, by basically pulling the strings on your heart. She probably thought this would cause enough tension on the Apple family so that they would make a stupid business error, and the Rich's would again be the richest family in Equestria. Unfortunately, before she could complete this plan, she was infected by Discord, destroying both her plan, and our hearts. But, despite her flaws, we love her as a member of their family. Diamond, family is the most important value to me, and I hope that's been instilled in you. Now, do you understand why Glamour acted like this?"

I was udderly shocked, and the only actual words that escaped from my mouth were, "I...can't...believe..business...makes...ponies...act...like..._that!__"_

_"_I'm very sorry, Diamond, but I know that this condition is only temporary. Just keep that faith high, Diamond!"

I felt much better after that talk, and it really helped me get back to school.

I wasn't really too worried about my academics, since I got them at home, but I didn't do nearly as well as I normally did, due to emotional strain, so at the end of the first semester, most of my grades were B's, but I did get a few A's, making me feel slightly better.

The day I went back to school was the first day of the second semester, and Cheerilee openly acknowledged she was glad to see me back in action. I was very quiet for the first week, not letting those blank flanks see the satisfaction of me crying. I wouldn't cry for them even if I got shot in the gut!

Anyway, the first week of school was nice and non-confrontational, and that week ended Apple Bloom's detention month.

But, Apple Bloom was apparently still angry at me for pretty much giving her detention, because in the middle of the next week, during recess, she arrived, with a _cutie-mark_!

Fortunately, it was just a hoop, and all she could really do was twirl it around her blank. Pft, big deal!

Once Apple Bloom's stupid friends actually thought it was cool, I thought it would be a good deal to give them a hard slap of reality by saying, "That's it? That's your talent?"

Silver Spoon chimed in. "Spinning a hoop around your waist? Puh-lease!" and I began giggling to myself.

Unfortunately, the day just spiraled downhill from there.

Apple Bloom, being the little pain in the flank that she was, said, "Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

With that, she performed some of the most self-centered, egotistical, insultingly professional tricks with her hoop I had ever seen. Even my musical number wasn't that self-indulgent!

And, sure enough when she was done, everypony started cheering for her! You could measure my anger using a seismogram at this point, and it was about to get worse.

After Cheerilee tried to bring all of us in for class, she said, "Apple Bloom?"

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee?"

"I want you to take your loop-de-hoop into the yard, and give us all a lesson on your amazing loop-de-hooping!" Ugggggghhhhennnngaaahhh! Why?

In my defense, after I tried doing the "loopty piece of mule crap" I was better than the other filles who tried it, but guess who noticed besides me? _Nopony_!

Then, Apple Bloom went up to us and said, "Don't worry gals. Keep at it and you might get to be half as good as me!" I was resisting the urge to punch a filly in the mouth and watch her bleed, but because that was a pretty awesome mental image, I was able to prevent doing it in real life.

After Apple Bloom was _humbled_ by her friends, something she didn't deserve after…that display of arrogance, she said, "Nah, you just need a little practice. Soon you'll be able to... hoop and bump! Hoop and hop! Hoop and skip! And hoop and flip!" Damn, it was really hard to be more arrogant than me, but this Blank Flank was accomplishing it. In. All. The. Wrong. Ways!

After Cheerilee prompted Apple Bloom to continue, what followed was one of the cockiest statements I've ever heard, and it wasn't even from my mouth!

That statement was, "Well, all right, just a few more tricks. But be warned! These are advanced moves, not for beginners. Got that, Diamond Tiara?" Right then, I hoped she would die during one of those tricks.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but after she pulled a using tail and hoop to fly trick, which she called the "hoop-la" she did crash into the ground, with another cutie mark!

I took full advantage of this situation and promptly replied, "Another cutie mark? Hah! I guess that last trick was a lot of hoop-la. Those cutie marks are fake!" leading to everypony gasping. Take that, bitch!

To prove my point, I said, "Miss Cheerilee, have you ever heard of a pony with two cutie marks?"

"I must say that I never have, but maybe Apple Bloom has two special talents!"

I knew that was absurd, and so did Spoon, because she said, "Oh yeah? Then let's see you do that!" pointing to the spinning plates that was ALSO on Apple Bloom's flank.

She…hoofing…performed it! She had Two. Damn. Cutie-marks! I pinched myself repeatedly, refusing to believe this was anything besides a dream. Only, it wasn't a hoofing dream! I took the time when everypony was crowding around Apple Bloom to lay on the ground until school officially ended.

Early on, Silver Spoon said, "Diamond, I know those marks are fake!"

"Shut up and leave me alone."

She did so, and since I also didn't want to talk after school, I avoided her for the rest of the day.

Even after I got home, my thoughts were tainted with the horrors of vengeance. I thought from then on, my life's purpose was to DESTROY Apple Bloom in any possible way that I could. I refrained from using the blackmail immediately, because that would be way too simple. No, I needed something to break her down psychologically so much that she wouldn't dare to come back to school. That place was _mine_ and any other pony who dared to challenge that authority, especially one who was hindering our business…would be punished!

I refused to talk at all during the next two weeks of school, and focused more on my academics and music to shield out any thoughts of vengeance, so I wouldn't become a sociopath.

But, on the end of the second week, the chance finally arrived for me to _ruin_ Apple Bloom's life. My father had to go to the Apple farm to discuss royalties, so I used my Diamond Eyes, and he took me with him. Once there, I saw Bloom, and her grandmother Granny Smith, dressed up in a bunny suits singing the alphabet, while hopping over water cans, and proceeded to laugh right before my dad had to talk with Granny Smith about said royalties. Granny Smith was a green pony with a white mane, and had more wrinkles than the entire population number in Equestria. I was rather angry that my beloved great-grandfather was killed instead of her, and I knew she was, most likely, the one who came up with the idea of royalties, but I thought of a way to use her against Apple Bloom.

Anyway, considering that Granny Smith hadn't been a speaker at Family Appreciation Day, I thought I could encourage her participation next week. Once I came up with that plan, I talked with Apple Bloom.

I said, "Oh, you poor, poor thing, having to make all that zap apple jam with Granny Smith?" I said, before doing a fake double-take in my mouth.

Apple Bloom responded by saying, "Actually, I been looking forward to making zap apple jam for years!"

"I'm not talking about the jam I'm talking about Granny Smith! You must be sooo embarrassed!"

"Uh- what do ya mean?" Oh, she knew exactly what I meant, but it wouldn't hurt to rub a little salt in the wound, would it?

"You know, with all her silly ways, how she forgets things, and makes you wear these ridiculous costumes?"

"Granny said that the water needs…"

"Thank goodness you're here on the farm and not in town where everypony could see you! Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me!" I said after interrupting her previous statement, and laughing like a maniac once I saw dad hitting Granny Smith with a spoon with a metal pot on her head! No, I am not making this up! As Celestia is my witness, next week was going to be awesome!

Later on that day, me and Silver Spoon were talking about the fact that my dad was going to participate in Family Appreciation Day tomorrow.

During one part, she asked, "Diamond, is it alright if I catch a few Z's when your dad speaks tomorrow?"

"Sure, but you're going to miss some great business tips!"

"Sorry, Diamond, but I'm just not that interested in business."

"It's fine. It's a phase that you just have to get past, but I can understand if you don't want to pursue business."

But then, I came across Apple Bloom and her kooky grandmother. Oh, and get this, Apple Bloom was wearing a baby hat! This day was just…so wonderful. Karma is a bitch, isn't it Apple Bloom?

Anyway, after we stood around, Apple Bloom noted our existence, and Granny Smith said, "What? Are those fillies your friends? Hello, Half-pint's friends!"

Silver Spoon responded by saying, while waving (I waved while she was doing this), "Hi, Granny Smith! Hi! Half-pint!" and I laughed harder than I believe I ever did before that day. Ah, it's the simple things in life!

After that day, my dad arrived at school to give a speech about our business. I was all ears, but everyone else was asleep, including Silver Spoon. I didn't mind, of course, because becoming interested in business is a phase, and it was to the loss of everyone to not know these tactics.

During the last part of his speech, he said, "And, by capturing the whole sale market, purchasing in bulk and slashing all prices, we undermine every other gift market in town, and that's how Rich's Barnyard Bargains became the cornerstone of retail in Ponyville!"

It was such a pity we couldn't apply these tactics to the Zap Apples, which was the product we had to pay royalties on, but I clopped heartily once dad was done with his speech anyway.

Cheerilee than said, "Well, thank you, Mr. Filthy, I mean, Mr. Rich, what a wonderful day of sharing! And thank you for being a part of Family Appreciation Day! Now, uh, let's see who will be bringing in a family member for next Monday's Family Appreciation Day. Um... oh! Apple Bloom!"

"But Miss Cheerilee Monday is Zap Apple harvest day, and Applejack and Big Macintosh will be too busy to come and speak!" By Celestia's mane, she was making this too easy for me!

"Well, is there anypony else in your family that could…"

And with that, I sprung the trap. "Miss Cheerilee. Apple Bloom's Granny Smith isn't working harvest. She could come!"

What happened next was a pathetic attempt from Apple Bloom of trying to stop the inevitable, and the bell rang immediately after. Next Monday was going to be a fun day!

The weekend went by very quickly, and I managed to finish an extra difficult saxophone piece. It would be nice to actually join a musical band later on, but I think we might need more people. After all, the saxophone that I play and the piano that Spoon plays don't really give us too much room for music. Plus, I think we might need a colt for more…diversity in our music. But, once again, I digress.

Monday finally came, and I'm assuming Apple Bloom pulled a fail stunt to try to stop Granny Smith from coming to Family Appreciation Day, because I heard Granny Smith had taken a train that contained a pony, Apple Bloom's uncle, Apple Strudel. As it turns out, he also came with Granny Smith, and gave Apple Bloom once of the fiercest noogies I had ever seen.

I said, before Granny Smith began her lovely speech, "I can't wait to hear Granny Smith's presentation. If she can remember any of it!" and Spoon and I laughed.

I really, really don't want to tell what happened next, but I have to, don't I? I do? Fine.

She started by saying, "Long ago, when I was a little pony, things were very different here in Ponyville, 'cause there was no Ponyville!" From that very sentence, I could tell I screwed up big time.

But, she continued, by saying, "That's right, my little ponies. Me and my family were pilgrim pony folk, back when I was a little filly. Oh, we ventured far and wide, collecting new seeds and sellin' the old. But my pa was the finest seed collector in all of Equestria. Then, one day, the Smith family found themselves in the most brilliant, most grand, most magnificent of all cities. A place called... Canterlot. Well, I bet your hooves to hindquarters I had never seen anything like it before or since. And as if the beauty of that city wasn't enough, suddenly, she appeared. Princess Celestia, the most regal of all ponies. When lo and behold, she stopped to look at my pa's seed collection. Then Princess Celestia saw that we were plumb-tuckered, and hankerin' to find our forever home. And bein' a royal Princess and all, she knew exactly the place for us to lay down our stakes. My pa gave the Princess a mighty thanks. We quickly found that land near the Everfree Forest, and we built our first home. Next, we planted our first orchards. But an orchard don't grow overnight, and we were getting mighty short on food. Now mind you, we were cautioned about the forest, and we knew that it was not fit to enter!" Dang it…dang it! I had really, really screwed up! Also, this was the first time I found out that Apple Bloom's last name was Smith. Yet, the psychological harm was just beginning!

She continued her speech by saying, "But I knew there was critters livin' there. There must be somethin' to eat. It was dark and musty, and I won't lie, it was scary. But every inch was covered in plant life, and before I knew it wasn't I standin' in front of the most incredible apple trees! I had never seen anything that bore this kind of colorful fruit! Oh, I started picking apples quick as a whip! I turned, and there before me stood the timber wolves! I've never run so fast in my life. I did the only thing I could think of. My pa and I planted those special apple seeds, and before our eyes they grew like wildfire. Well, we had full grown trees faster than you could say lickety split. Then each year, I paid close attention to the signs of the zap apple special harvesting times. How the weather affects the Everfree Forest, how the timber wolves howl when the zap apples first start growing, and how they zapped away if you didn't pick 'em all in one day! And the fruits of our labor were the best fruit we ever tasted. Soon enough I was mixing up batches of zap apple jam. Just like harvestin' the zap apples had its special rules, so did makin' zap apple jam. I learned that you gotta be extra friendly with the bees, otherwise their honey won't taste rightly sweet to mix in with the zap apples. Who'd'a thought that glass jars needed talking to? Or that zap apples like pink polka dots? But magic is as magic does. Just funny that way. Then ponies started comin' to our farm from far and wide just to get a taste of my zap apple jam. Some of them decided to stay, like Stinkin' Rich, Diamond Tiara's great grandfather. Matter of fact, the first thing he ever sold was my zap apple jam! And before we knew it, we had ourselves a nice little town, bustling with all kinds of ponies. And that is how Ponyville was founded!"

And with that, the story ended. What did I think of it, you may ask? It was the stupidest, most absurd story I've ever heard in my life! I refused to believe she could have done all of that, and even today, I still doubt the validity of that story.

But, guess what? No one else did! Even Silver Spoon clopped _first_ when Granny finished! And Apple Bloom thought this was a _wonderful_ time to rub salt in the wound.

She said, very clearly, "If it weren't for my Granny Smith, your daddy wouldn't have Barnyard Bargains."

After she said that, I felt every single eye from that classroom staring into my soul, and I could feel like my role as queen of the school was in some serious jeopardy.

I had to think of an insult, quick, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was, "But she's just a... kooky old lady!" and sure enough, it did nothing to impact the opinion of the class.

After the bell rang, I just sat there for about two minutes trying to ponder what happened. I didn't even hear Cheerilee say that she would call my dad. When I finally got up, the first pony who was going to get a piece of my mind was Silver Spoon.

Once I saw Silver Spoon, I yelled, "You traitor! How could you do this to me?"

"Wh…what did I do, Diamond Tiara?"

"You just couldn't believe if was false! You just couldn't back me up! Our families have been enemies for centuries! We should be the richest family in Equestria due to our superior business skills! You have no idea how big of A slap to the face you gave my family when you clopped! I hate you!"

"No! I'm sorry Diamond! I really didn't think you would mind!"

"Shut up! I don't want to talk to you anymore! Our friendship? Forget about it! Goodbye,traitor!" I screamed, running away from school as fast as I could.

I knew I had been cruel to my best friend, but I really felt like she needed to see what she had helped do to me. And if it took ending our friendship, at least for a little while, then so be it. Sure, I was exceptionally mad right now, but I still feel like I had to do it.

When I got home, I found my dad saying, "Diamond, why did you insult Granny Smith in class?"

"Did Cheerilee call you?"

"Yes. Now, could you answer my question?"

"You never told me that Granny Smith did all of that. I was in complete shock and felt obligated to downgrade the notion that the Apple family is better than our family, because I know it isn't!"

"I sincerely apologize for all that you have been through, but I feel like you need to take the time to know the process of making these Zap Apples is."

After he said that, he pulled out yellow bunny ears, and I knew exactly what he wanted me to do.

"No. No! Dad, please! You can ground me for a year, but I'm done with the humiliation! Please, I beg of you! I'd rather die than get humiliated by our enemies again! Please!"

"Diamond, listen. I'm not doing this as a punishment. I just want you to understand the process used in making these Zap Apples because eventually, we should establish control of them. I know how much pain you have been through, so I think grounding you or punishing you would be pointless. And, I promise that there will be absolutely no blackmail or anything that comes from this experience. Now, please, will you go with me?"

"I…guess…so."

"Good girl."

With that statement in mind, as we were walking to the Apple Farm, I began finding it very tough to breathe and I felt like puking. I told my dad, but I didn't think it was a huge deal, so we kept walking. As we approached the farm, I began stiffening up, so dad had to push me to get me to move. As we arrived, my breathing rate slowed, and I realized this was truly the last thing I wanted to do, because all three of the blank flanks, along with Granny Smith were there, hopping over water cans.

My dad gave me one final push, and as I tensed up, he said, "Diamond Tiara!"

"But, dad!" I said before he gave me one final push. I did see and hear him talking with Granny Smith about not having this mentioned ever again, but after about a half a minute, I began to convulse like crazy, and my breathing rate continued to slow down.

Half a minute later, I completely passed out, due to a very, very severe panic attack.

* * *

Oh, man. This isn't looking good! Filthy Rich has really underestimated how much of a toll these events have taken on poor Diamond! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please let me know of any way I can improve it! Good night, everypony!

Next Chapter: Diamond, still passed out, is brought to the hospital. Will she wake up? And will she forgive anyone associated with all of the events that have made her life miserable? Find out, next time!


	11. Forgiveness

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 11

Aww, yeah! Good morning, everypony! I'm very sorry I couldn't upload a chapter of A Diamond in the Rough yesterday, but I was backed up heavily with math homework and I had to finish an essay. Unfortunately, this chapter might also be a little shorter than normal because I have two tests tomorrow. High school sucks! But, anyway, enough ranting!

DisneyPrincess: Good. It appears my words have more power than I initially suspected. Soon, I will convince the entire Friendship is Magic community to sympathize with Diamond Tiara! Ah ha ha ha ha ha! No, but seriously, I'm really happy that you are enjoying the story, and I hope that you can find it in your soul to love and tolerate Diamond Tiara. Thank you so much for your constant support!

REDgirl2723: Wow! To say that this should go on EQD is one of the biggest compliments I've ever received in my entire life! I'm honored that I was able to inspire you so much, and I absolutely cannot wait for your very own Diamond Tiara fanfic to hit the internet. I'd love nothing more than for this story to be on EQD, and I don't even care if it isn't featured. Just being on its sacred grounds is good enough for me!

McPeach: I'm using your ideas because I think they go along with my plan of action for this story, and because I like to satisfy my dedicated readers. No need to worry, I believe I have a good idea of what I want to accomplish from here on. Thank you once again for your support!

Here we go! Time to crack my chapter count up to 11 so that I can get people to love and tolerate on a microscopic level! (If you get this reference, you are awesome!)

* * *

(Back to Photo Frame's POV)

I consumed about two full cups of Mrs. Tiara's wonderful tea, and she soon made another batch when the pitcher became devoid of any liquid.

When she came back, with an extra cup she said, "Would you mind washing your cup? I have guests today."

"With pleasure. Who are these guests?"

"My best friends. I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, but one is a colt, and the other is a mare."

I had a feeling she had a lover. A mare that beautiful and classy couldn't have been single. I was a tad disappointed, but I should have expected it, and now I had one more reason to focus more on the documentary, not her. With a nod, I got up, cleaned the cup, and returned it to her.

Afterwards, she said, "Well…since I was unconscious for about an hour, I really have no idea what transpired during that time. What should I do?"

"Just do your best to come up with an explanation. A documentary really doesn't need to perfect factually."

"Alright, I think I've got an idea!" she said, beginning to drift back into her tale.

(Diamond's POV, 14 years ago)

Like I said, I was unconscious for about an hour. As soon as my dad saw me pass out, he mostly likely said, "Granny! Call an ambulance, please! I'll call someone else!"

"Alright, but who, Filthy?"

"Someone who can help Diamond…better than me."

As Granny Smith went to call an ambulance, my dad began punching in numbers…to the Orange Family. The Orange's, like us, were a very business-rooted rich family, who were very sophisticated and modern. They were kind of like the polar opposite of the Apple family, except for the fact that the Orange's were cousins to the Apple's. In fact, the Orange's lived in Manehattan, not Ponyville, even though it was very close to Ponyville.

Anyway, once my dad got a signal, he might have said, "Hello, is this the Orange residences?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's me, Filthy Rich. Listen, I need to talk with your son."

"Very well. Ripe! Filthy Rich wants to speak with you!"

"Is this Ripe Orange?"

"Yes, what do you need, Mr. Rich?"

"My daughter passed out due to panic. I really didn't take into account how traumatized she was at school."

"What happened?"

"You know how we have to pay royalties to the Apple family? Diamond didn't know that before Family Appreciation Day, so you can guess what her reaction was."

"Ouch! Anything else?"

"You might be a little overwhelmed by this, but, she has lost my beloved grandfather, been looked down upon by my wife, Glamour, failed quite a few times teasing the daughter of the Apple family, which my wife told her to do, has experienced countless arguments between my Glamour and I, I've been too busy to really parent her that well, and Glamour has recently turned insane."

"Wow! And I thought my friendless life sucked! I've got to cheer her up. Where is she?"

"An ambulance is going to be coming shortly to take her to the Ponyville hospital."

"Gotcha. Be there in a flash!" and with that the phone hung up.

I'm also assuming that Ripe Orange bumped into Silver Spoon on the way to the hospital.

Spoon probably said to Ripe, "Ouch! Watch it!"

"Sorry, I'm on my way to the hospital."

"Huh? What happened?"

"Diamond Tiara passed out, and she's heading there right now!"

"What? Let me follow you, Diamond's still my best friend!"

Granny Smith also probably told Apple Bloom, as well as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to go to the hospital.

Unfortunately, before I was able to see any of them, I experienced a nightmare that was…worse than my previous nightmare.

It started out innocently enough, with me and Spoon simply walking around the school, but then, all of a sudden, Apple Bloom walked up.

She said, "Hey, where's your cutie mark, blank flank?"

"What? I have my cutie mark and it's right…where is it? Where is it?"

It got worse. Apple Bloom somehow had a cutie mark, and as it turns out, everyone else did. Once I realized my flank was blank, after about a minute of checking, Everypony began laughing at me!

All that time, I was saying, "No…I have…my mark…it's here…It's here! It's not flanking here! Celestia, leave me alone!" and then I began to cry.

The laughing didn't stop, and the hooves being pointed at me felt like they were digging into my consciousness. Wait…consciousness?

All of a sudden, I woke up, covered in sweat. I looked around only to discover that I was in a hospital, taped to a bed.

I yelled, "What's going on? What are you going to do with me? Laugh? Say I'm crazy?"

I was quieted by Doctor Ate, who said, "Please relax, Mrs. Tiara. You just passed out, and I'm assuming you are having a panic attack. No worries though, if you just lay down, and drink lots of fluids, you should be A OK!"

Still gasping for air, I yelled, "Where am I?"

"You're in Ponyville Hospital. You woke up earlier than expected, so you aren't in your room yet, but I'll take you there right now."

He was true to his word. In a few minutes, I had arrived at my room, discovering that I had been comatose for about an hour. Soon after, I met with a decently muscular yellow colt with a dark orange mane. He had a guitar strapped to his chest, and he also had the same color eyes as mine, blue.

When he spoke, his voice was gentle, yet I later discovered it could become rough when he needed it to.

The first words I heard from him were, "Hello, I'm Ripe Orange. Are you Diamond Tiara, the daughter of Filthy Rich?"

"Yes, I am. Aren't you a member of the Orange family? They're pretty good business ponies, so it's always nice to meet an Orange."

"On the muzzle, Diamond Tiara. You know, you're very beautiful."

Under normal circumstances, this really wouldn't be a huge deal, but this was the first colt about my age to actually compliment me on my looks. Not even Snails had the gall to do that!

I said, "Wow, thank you! First off, you can call me Diamond, and second, why are you here?"

"I'm here to let you know that you aren't alone. I sincerely emphasize with all of the events you've endured. Because of my family, I couldn't make any friends, even back in kindergarten!"

"Wow, really? I have…sort of a different story. My mom has been very, very harsh on me, because I'm not a colt, so I can't inherit the Rich business. So, I've really established this brittle shell around my personality. Say, what do you think of this?" I said, motioning to my tiara.

"That's beautiful! Where'd you get it from?"

"I made it, actually. It's my cutie-mark talent! It's what makes me more special than any other pony!"

"Wow! That's amazing! Your confidence really matches your talent!" Again, ANOTHER wonderful compliment! I might as well ask him one more thing.

"Ripe, how old are you? I'm ten, by the way."

"I'm eleven. My parents started me attendance at school in Manehattan later than normal, so I'm only in fifth grade."

"Ohmygosh! I'm in fifth grade too! You should totally transfer to Ponyville Elementary! It's awesome! One more thing, what's that thing under your head?"

"It's called a guitar, Diamond."

"A guitar? What's that?"

"It's a musical instrument that has the most opportunities for solos and awesome sounds. I've loved the guitar since I was half my current age, and I've always wanted to play it for myself. Thanks to my rich family, I was able to get this beauty."

"Cool. What "version" is it?"

"It's a vintage guitar. A good old Stratocaster. It was made about five decades back, and yet it still sounds beautiful and full. Do you want me to play a few cords for you?"

"Sure! Go right ahead!"

As he began playing, I saw that he had a guitar cutie mark and that his hoofs were especially fast. His talent was obvious, but still really, really cool.

When he finished, I said, "Wow! Have you heard of hoof surgery before? I can play the saxophone, and my friend Silver Spoon can play the piano! Maybe we could form a band!"

"Yes, I've experienced hoof surgery, and I'd love to perform in your band later on. But, I digress. Diamond, I know you really are going through some tough times. But, you have friends. You have your family. I know they aren't perfect, but Silver Spoon and your dad still love you for who you are. Please forgive them, because I know that the only way you can truly go forward…is with friends."

All of a sudden, I got angry and said, "How do _you_ know what friends are?"

"Diamond, listen. Filthy Rich didn't tell me to say anything, but your friends and family haven't betrayed you. They just underestimated the pain you've been through, and I completely empathize with every painstaking emotion that we rich ponies have had to go through. Society doesn't care about us, so we have to care for each other."

His words really did have an impact on me. Finally, I settled down and said, "Fine, I'll try to give them a chance. But only one chance."

As I said this, I heard a knock on my door, and the voice coming from behind it told me it was Silver Spoon.

She said, "Diamond, I'm really, really, really sorry for all of the bad things I did as a friend. I should have known the pain you were going through, and I shouldn't have even clapped for Granny Smith."

"But you did. Why?"

"I don't know. I really, really, don't know. The only reason that came into my brain was that my grandparents used to tell me stories like this when I was younger. And I loved them."

"That…actually makes perfect sense. Stinkin' Rich loved to tell me his trials back when he was just a farmer and even some of the early stories as a business colt. I always was a bit skeptical about them, but I loved my grandfather. With Granny Smith…it was just the same tall tales without any of the connections."

"I completely understand, Diamond. I really thought those stories were complete hoofwash anyway, so I shouldn't have rubbed salt in your wound. Diamond, I've been such a bad friend, but I'm more than willing to put this experience behind me if you'll just give me the chance."

Spoon was my bestie. I couldn't deny her apology, so I said, "You can come in, Spoon."

She came in, with tears in her eyes, and she gave me a big hug.

I ended the conversation by saying, "Besties?"

"Besties! Forever and ever, Diamond!"

After our touching reunion, I introduced Spoon to Ripe Orange, and nothing really out of the ordinary happened.

But, a few minutes later, I had to accept the forgivance of one more pony, my dad. He, again, knocked on the door, and spoke in a somber voice.

He said, "Diamond…I've never been the ideal father. I've argued with my wife, ignored you, my only daughter, for the most part, and I haven't even listened to you that well. However, starting today, I plan to chance all of that."

"How in Celestia's mane are you going to help me overcome these traumatic experiences?"

"I'll give up some of my business time. I won't argue with my wife, even when she comes back, which I know she will. I'll allow you to make a case for what I do when you do something wrong. I'll do absolutely everything to make absolutely certain I do not put you in this horrible position again. I know you hate me right now, but the only reason I gave you that punishment is so that you would be more motivated to find an alternative for when we're the ones who go through apple harvesting. I shouldn't have forced that upon you when you've gone through all of this pain. Believe me, I've been affected too. The loss of my wife still haunts me, and I completely understand why you've spit on Discord's statue. He IS beyond a monster. Diamond, I know I've almost never said this, but I'm proud to have you as my daughter. I'm proud that you've become a fantastic leader. I'm proud that you've become one of the most independent fillies I've ever seen. I'm proud of your business process. But, most importantly, I'm proud of the way you've handled all of the crap that's been thrown at you. Any other filly would have already cut their own head by now, but you have so much determination and resilience, that you can make it through anything. I love you more than anything, Diamond, and I'm proud to be your father. Will you forgive me, Diamond?"

I was almost in tears by the end of his speech, so I said, "I love you, Dad."

After that, he walked in and gave me a grand hug. He kissed my cheek, and I kissed his a few seconds later, and after we finished, we really didn't even need to say anything.

About an hour later, I was cleared to leave the hospital, I was untied, and even after that, Ripe Orange was still there. He had witnessed everything, and had allowed me to forgive the people in my life that meant the most to me. So, I felt obligated to go up to him, and give him a hug.

I said, with a few droplets escaping from my eyes, "Thanks. I really do appreciate what you did."

"Absolutely no problem. We all need someone who cares for us in life. I care for you, Diamond."

"Cool. Hope to see you again." and with that, I finished the hug, and I left.

I laughed at the cheesiness of the whole moment, and finally went back home in great spirits. Truth be told, I really did hope to see Ripe Orange again.

* * *

I know this was a very cheesy chapter. But, come on, after all of the misery that I put Diamond through, there had to be at least one chapter of fluff. I hope you enjoyed my first real chapter of fluff, and we should be heading back into Conflict Alley pretty soon. Please let me know of anything I can do to improve this story!

Next time: Diamond makes her first business affair, and even though she begins to loosen up, one prank she pulls on the CMC could cause shattering consequences. What is this prank, and how will Diamond exercise her business skills? Find out, next time!


	12. A Climatic Business

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 12

Wow. I've created twelve chapters, and I'm only halfway through! This story may not be the most popular, but the support I've gotten has really, really inspired me to make more. This community is awesome!

DisneyPrincess: Ponyville Confidential was a great episode, but by far my favorite part about it was that it showed some of Diamond's good characteristics, and I have a great plan as to what I'm going to do with that episode. Also, I'm glad you liked Ripe Orange. He's going to be my primary OC pony, and he will have more appearances. Finally, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for having an open enough mind to read a story about a character that no one likes, even when you like the other fillies better, like most fans of this show. If most of the fan base was as open minded as you, I have no doubt this story will be able to creep onto EQD. Thank you for being an awesome fan, reviewer, and reader!

Redgirl: Ohmygosh! Really? I'd absolutely love love love to have my story featured on your site or any site for that matter! Honestly, if you feel like you have to ask me about publicizing my story, don't! Really, I wrote this fan fiction so that it could be publicized and so that I could provide a legitimate explanation of why a hated character established those character traits. I want the entire MLP community to see my story and to realize, this hate is pointless, dumb, and completely breaks the motto of "love and tolerance." Thank you so much for being such a dedicated fan! And, please give me a link once you have finished!

Also, I know I may be hammering this in, but I really want other people to read this. If you are reading this, you enjoy it, and you have other friends who like MLP, please, for the sake of me and Diamond Tiara, link this to them. I guarantee you that if you have enjoyed this, your friends will as well. Thank you to all who have read this fan fiction. You are awesome fans! Now, let's begin another chapter!

PS: Yes, there is swearing in this chapter.

* * *

(Photo Frame's POV)

As Mrs. Tiara finishes her tale in the hospital, we are interrupted by a knock.

Mrs. Tiara yells, "Who is it?"

"Take a guess, Diamond."

"Ripe! I'll be right there!" she said excitedly, leaping up from her chair to open the door.

I really should learn not to doubt Mrs. Tiara's descriptions, because he looked exactly how she described him, guitar and all, even though his mane was a little messy.

Mrs. Tiara ran up and gave him an enormous hug, and even gave him a peck on the cheek before saying, "It's great to see you! Glad you could make it!"

In response, Ripe Orange gave her a peck. "Yeah, had to get my guitar tuned, but I came here as soon as I finished. Ah, you made tea? Awesome!" he said, before pulling up a chair and taking a seat.

After a few seconds, he asked, "Diamond, who is this?"

"His name is Photo Frame. He's doing a documentary on me!"

"Really? Wow, that's awesome!"

Then, he turned to me, and said, "Hey, I'm Ripe Orange."

"Yes, Mrs. Tiara did tell me about you. It's great that you managed to help her when she was recovering from a panic attack."

"Yeah, how far has she gotten, by the way?"

"She just finished detailing your first meeting."

"Cool. Do you want me to chime in on the documentary?" he said, before taking a sip of tea.

"If you feel it will help her story."

"Cool!" he said before turning back to Diamond.

"The tea tastes wonderful, Diamond. I don't even care that it's in this pink cup. I can swallow my pride as well as this tea."

"Ha! Good one, Ripe! So, should I continue telling the story to him?"

"Sure! I'd love to hear what you have to say about what happened after our first meeting!"

"Fantastique!" she said, before continuing her tale once more.

(Diamond's POV)

As I said, I managed to walk from my hospital room with my head held up high. The mental state of my…mother…was a concern, but I knew that with memory loss that bad, I had to prove myself to an immense degree to get her back from Discord.

But, before I could leave the hospital, I was approached by...Granny Smith and the Cutie Mark Crusaders? What the heck were they doing here?

I managed to convey my thoughts into actual words. "What the heck are you four doing here?"

Granny Smith was the first to speak. "We just wanted to know if you were OK, young'un."

I became angry. "Why? To mock me? I bet that's exactly why you came! See the rival in a panic attack! That's wonderful!"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Don't you dare try to hide the fact that we're business rivals! I bet you just want to kick me while I'm down! Well, I won't let you!"

"Filthy Rich and I are good friends, not just business rivals. In fact, you guys have gotten the long side of the ol' mud stick in terms of business!"

"We should have a monopoly on those Zap Apples! Your presence is just hindering the best business in Ponyville! The fact that you've done so well using dated business tactics is sickening!"

"Tradition holds more weight that you'd think, young'un."

"No, it doesn't! We've clawed our way to the top using technology and modern tactics! We WILL win this business fight, am I clear, Granny?"

She sighed. "Fine. Come on, half-pint and friends. Let's just leave this young'un alone."

And with that, they left. That encounter with Granny Smith left me wondering how the heck the Apple Family still owns that rusty, aged excuse for a ramshackle, so once I got back home, I asked Dad about it.

I believe he said, "Diamond, the reason why the Apple family is still surviving is because they are producing great products, not to mention that we have to give them royalties for the Zap Apples."

"But why can't we stop paying them royalties?"

"Because of the copyright system. According to that system, if someone is credited with discovering a certain product, even if other people sell it to gain money, the person who discovered it has to receive royalties. It's the law, Diamond."

"Wait just one second! I think I might have found the loophole we have been searching for!" and with that, I ran to my dad's office.

Sure enough, the contract was exactly where I thought it was, along with the magnifying glass. I had 20/20 vision, but the loophole might be in very small print, so I just brought it along to be safe. With that, I ran over to my room and did an extensive search of the contract. Finally, after about a half an hour of searching and headaches, I finally found the statement I was looking for.

It said, "I, Stinkin' Rich, as well as any who may succeed me agree to pay the royalties of the Zap Apples to Granny Smith, and only Granny Smith directly." Once I found it, I screamed for joy, and circled the statement with a big pink marker. Then, I ran over to my dad with sparkles in my eyes.

I screamed, "Dad! Dad! I found it! I finally found a loophole in this contract!"

"Where is it, Diamond?"

"It's right here!" I said, pointing to the statement I had circled with the marker, as well as handing him the magnifying glass immediately afterwards.

Sure enough, I hadn't been imagining things, and he said, "Diamond! Wow…that's amazing! I can't believe you managed to find the loophole that has plagued us for so long! Looks like Stinkin' Rich really was a genius, and I believe you deserve an apology for any time I may have doubted you on your business skills. What you did…almost no business pony would have been able to do even at their peak! Wow…I'm just completely amazed by your progress. Diamond, congratulations!"

"Thanks, Dad! I love you!" I said, giving him a great big hug. I couldn't wait to rub this in the Apple family's face!

But, I knew there was a time and place for pointing that loophole out. The next day, I shared my discovery with Silver Spoon, and while she may not have realized how mind-shattering it was, she could see how jubilant I was when I told her, so she congratulated my heavily for it. After a short day, I came back home, only to ask my dad another question.

I asked, "Dad, if we get control of Sweet Apple Acres, will I have to help with harvesting the Zap Apples?"

"Unfortunately, if you cannot find another machine that can do the dirty work for you, than I'm afraid not. But, after your recent accomplishment, I'm sure you could negotiate for it easily."

With that thought process in mind, I decided to go to Sweet Apple Acres, where the Apple family lived, during apple cider season, to see if any machines would sprout up. I wasn't really thirsty, and there is absolutely no way I would willingly pay for anything the Apple family created, so I just decided to wait. I had a negotiating book with me, so I just decided to read up on some tidbits to pass the time.

However, after about two hours, a locomotion train pulled up, and two colts with yellow bodies and a red and white striped mane pulled up, one, known as Flim, without a moustache, and the other, known as Flam, who had a moustache. As soon as they arrived, they began singing.

(Just look up the Flim Flam brothers song on YouTube, I only put down lyrics when I change stuff.)

I was legitimately interested in their apple cider making machine, known as the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, (somepony had to have been drinking) but just to make sure they weren't con artists, I devised a plan.

I clopped slowly, and then said, "Very nice song! I might decide to do business with you two about this lovely little machine. May I have a sip of your cider?"

I heard a few ponies in the background yell, "Hey! Give us cider too!" but I ignored them.

The two responded, "But, you're just a filly! How do you know about business?"

Time to use the Diamond Eyes! The wide eyes, the pouting lip were all centered to make me look absolutely adorable.

I even said, "Please? I'm really thirsty right now, and I need a little something to quench my thirst. I can't walk all the way back to my house!" to make sure they were fit snugly in my hoof.

Eventually, they complied, and as it turns out, the cider was absolutely delicious! I decided to move forward.

I started by saying, "This is delicious cider! Your machine certainly holds some promise. Could we hold a business discussion about me buying your machine? I am a Rich, after all."

This appeared to get their attention, because Flam said, "You're a Rich? Don't you almost have a complete monopoly on Zap Apples?"

"On the muzzle, my friends! It appears our name has spread quicker than I thought. So…how about we head on over to the Rich mansion? We can work out a business deal there."

Flim responded by saying, "Alright, but we'd like to talk with the Apple family first."

"Take your time. I'll be right here."

They attempted to give the Apple family their machine, as long as they split the profits 75 them/25 Apple's. I wasn't worried. I knew that even if they gave the machine to them 10/90 they wouldn't take it! As it turns out, I was right, and they took the next step by challenging the Apple family to a cider duel! This…was a problem, but I knew I could work my way around it.

Anyway, as they came back, Flim said, "Very well. We'll accept your offer to negotiate for your Super Speedy…"

I interrupted him. "Just call it a machine. You're wasting breath. Anyway, I'll lead the way. My name is Diamond Tiara Rich, just in case you two are curious."

It took a few minutes, but we arrived back at my mansion, and I escorted them to the room where my father makes most of his negotiations. It came complete with a printer, tons of paper, and a double-sided table, so it was the perfect place for me to work my magic. I had already done the calculations on the profits the Apple family got yearly for apple cider, so I'd say I had a distinct advantage, per se.

I started by asking, "Are you two salesponies for a manufacturing company?"

Flam said, "Yes, we are."

"Wonderful! I'll start off by paying you 4,000 bits for your machine directly, and we'll split the profits 87.5 us/12.5 you. We'll also get exclusive rights to your latest machines, and while we will pay you for them, we have the freedom to make requests. One more thing, I have found a loophole that allows us to claim a monopoly in Zap Apples when the old green pony dies, so we should gain control of Sweet Apple Acres soon. So, with that in mind, deal?"

Flim said, "No deal! You're being cheap with the bits."

"Alright, how about I pay you 4,500 bits?"

Flam said, "Higher."

"5,000 bits and I'll set that as the number we will pay for your other machines. This is my final offer. Deal?"

Flim and Flam both thought hard, whispered to themselves, and said, "Deal!" simultaneously.

However, before we shook hands, Flim said, "We just want you to know, if we win the cider contest, your contract will be null and void, right?"

"Of course!" I responded. I was lying!

We shook hands, and I began constructing the contract. I made sure to say in the contract to include what they had said in larger print, and then put down a contradiction in very small print. They scanned the contract, and didn't see the contradiction, so they signed it, and I dismissed them without another word. My first negotiation turned out to be a huge success!

To add, the bit conversion rate would be two human dollars = one bit, and the amount of bits that we would give them should turn out to me about 3,000 less bits than the amount of bits we would receive, if the profit calculations were accurate, so I had made a fantastique deal!

Anyway, after yawning and relaxing for a few minutes, I walked over to Sweet Apple Acres once more, with the contract in my saddlebag. When I arrived, I saw that they had won the contest, but, as it turns out, the cider that they had produced contained the tree materials where the apples grew, so they were run out of town. However, once they made it on their machine, I winked and nodded at them, as to indicate that I would take care of this situation.

Again, I clopped slowly as I walked over to the Apple family, saying, "Bravo, bravo. Unfortunately, your days running Sweet Apple Acres are about to be cut short!"

Apple Bloom responded. "What in the hay to ya mean by that, Diamond Tiara?"

"I'm talking about this!" I said, pulling out the contract.

Granny Smith said, "Young'un, what's that little area you circled?"

I laughed haughtily. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

As they read it, all of them gasped in succession, and it took about ten seconds for Granny Smith to finally choke out, "Stinkin' Rich…why would ya do somethin' like that?"

"Because he is a _far_ better grandparent _and_ business pony then you will ever be! We're finally going to take over this place, and run it the right way!"

Apple Bloom, in tears at this point, said, "Just because…you'll get all of the Zap Apples…after Granny falls…don't mean that you'll run us out of business."

"Oh, but that's exactly what it means! When a company gets a monopoly on a product, they can control the price of it! So, we're going to raise the Zap Apple prices so high, that no pony will be able to buy them, and since I know the Zap Apples nets you most of your profit, you'll go bankrupt eventually. Then, we'll purchase your farm for little to no money, and soon we'll be raking in all of your profits!"

"You…ain't gonna kick us out right?"

"What? No, we aren't that cruel. We just think it's time for you to move on from your tradition based lifestyle and cruise into modern business. We'll take you there personally!"

"Phew! That's a relief!"

Granny Smith, enraged at this point, said, "That ain't a relief, half-pint! Our rivals are gonna take our farm and strip us of our traditions!"

"Uh, news flash, you won't be able to see that anyway!"

"I'm gonna rip up your stupid little contract, you rich bitch!"

Whoa. That was uncalled for. I took this chance to run away from the rampaging granny, and head back home.

Once I finally got back, I said, "Dad! Granny Smith has gone nuts! She called me a rich bitch!"

"What? I knew she wouldn't be happy with that loophole, but to insult the hard work of our ancestors and especially you…that's pushing it way too far. I'm going to have a chat with her."

I completely agreed with his statement, but the conversation really didn't take place for a while, because Granny Smith had become obstinate and bitter after that day. Sheesh, and I thought I was stubborn!

However, when I returned to school, the days went by quickly, and even though I had missed a good deal of school, I managed to finish fifth grade with a straight A report card!

This summer, my dad promised me he would attend my summer saxophone recital, so I worked extra hard towards making sure my pieces were of the utmost perfection. It would be the first real time my dad would actually attend and listen to the recital, because before, even when he did attend one of my recitals, he was focusing more on his business. Before I performed, he did work on crunching some numbers for Barnyard Bargain's, but as soon as the speaker called my name, he was all ears.

I performed two very tough saxophone pieces, with 16th notes, and even some triplets, without any mistakes, and when I finished, my dad both clopped and told me he was proud of me when I returned to my seat. This was followed by a hug, and we both pecked the other of the cheek. However, immediately afterwards, he returned to his stats. He was always busy, but he made a commitment to being a great father towards me, and I don't remember him ever breaking it. Was I "Daddy's little girl"? Maybe, but I never thought that statement had any connection to me being spoiled when applied to the relationship between me and dad, even if I was.

The summer rushed passed me, and soon enough, I was ready to head into sixth grade. Again, Cheerilee was my teacher, and I had to admit, she was very good at teaching foals. I would have put her down a grade, but still, no big deal. While the first week was uneventful, during the second week, my life would once again be completely thrown into disarray.

Early on during the second week, I had eavesdropped on a conversation with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I discovered they always wanted to go into the Everfree Forest. Somehow, I talked with them about this the next day.

I started by saying, "Hey, Apple Bloom. Would you like to take a look at the Everfree Forest? I think I know a way you and your friends could do so."

Apple Bloom said, "Really? How?"

"Just meet me by the hill at about 6 o'clock tonight, and I'll show you!"

I really, really don't know what prompted me to go through with my plan. Maybe I felt obligated to scare them after about a half a year without pulling any major pranks on them? Anyway, I convinced Spoon to come with me, and sure enough, all of them arrived, where I had an old wagon waiting for them, with a rope attached to it.

Once they arrived, I said, "Get in. All three of you."

They obliged, and I began snickering to myself. After all of the Cutie Mark Crusaders strapped their helmets on. I gave them a push down the hill. It really was just intended to scare them, so that they knew I wasn't relenting on them yet, but I had severely undermined the steepness of the ridge. Because of this, Spoon and I were literally thrown into the air. I landed in the cart, and managed to force all of them to bounce out of the wagon, but I saw Silver Spoon flying above my head.

Once I saw her, I don't know what prompted me to do what I did next, or even how I was able to accomplish it, but I put both of my hooves to my tiara, and began to concentrate heavily. As a result, an incredibly bright light shined above my head, and I instantly knew it was coming from my tiara.

After the light appeared, I yelled, "Girls! Follow me!" and I did see a few silhouettes appear behind me, so I know they heeded my call. Unfortunately, what lay before my eyes after about a half a minute of galloping…was Silver Spoon.

She was lying down, and once I saw her face, her eyes were closed. Even after shaking her…she wouldn't wake up.

With tears in my eyes, I yelled, "Wake up, Spoon! _Wake up_!"

It was no use. Even after a minute of yelling, her eyes were still closed.

* * *

Dang! I'm not kidding around here anymore! Just when the climax appeared to be reaching its end, the true climax rears its ugly head! Anyway, please let me know if there is anything I can improve on, and please, let your friends know about this story if you have enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your support!

Next Chapter: Silver Spoon is taken to the hospital. Needless to say, Diamond does not feel ready to return to school, but an event might just make her reconsider. What is this event, and is Silver Spoon still alive? Find out, next time!


	13. A Motivation

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 13

Hello, everypony! Sorry I didn't post a new chapter yesterday, but I was just a little too busy and a little too lazy to get to it. No worries though, because I'm ready to write Chapter lucky number 13 today!

DisneyPrincess: With the whole Granny Smith cursing, she did it because she was threatened by the loss of her traditions that she created that allowed Sweet Apple Acres to thrive for so long. She was just caught up in the heat of the moment, per se. Also, I'm glad you liked Diamond being a business pro, because again, I developed her as a smart character, and with the amount of business lessons she received from her father, as well as her natural leadership, I think she would be a complete business pro. Don't worry; I will also prove this in Diamond's POV of Ponyville Confidential. Again, thank you so much for all of your kind words!

redGIRL2723: Ohmygosh Ohmygosh! I'm SO excited about this website! In fact, if you don't mind, I'd love to promote this website by placing your link on my Deviantart and FimFiction page. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, right? Anyway, I hope you'll accept my offer, and I hope you continue to read this story!

Here we go! Set phasers to writing!

Hey, guess what? There's cursing in this chapter!

* * *

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and even hit my arms a few times before realizing that Silver Spoon was truly…not going to wake up soon. I was too frantic to check her pulse immediately, and this feeling of bewilderment caused me to bump into the CMC, while carrying Silver Spoon.

Since the light from my tiara was too bright for them to see me, I said, "Follow the light, please!" and they obeyed.

After about five minutes of weaving our way through trees, I was finally able to check Silver Spoon's pulse. She…she…was…still…alive! I breathed a _huge_ sigh of relief after that, and I called an ambulance immediately following that. Unfortunately, we were far away from the Ponyville Hospital, and they said it would take about ten minutes for them to arrive. After expelling a deep sigh from the bad news, I "shut off" the light coming from my tiara without my hooves hurting from the heat, which made my "added talent" even cooler than before!

Anyway, right after I finished, Apple Bloom said, "That was fun, Diamond Tiara! I'm mighty sorry about Spoon though."

My response was filled with anger. "You're lying!"

Sweetie Belle calmed me down. "No, we aren't. We never hated you, and even Apple Bloom told me she was very impressed by your leadership during that project."

After she said that, I felt a huge wave of pain run through my stomach, and then mumbled, "My mom's going to kill me…"

Unfortunately, Apple Bloom heard that. "Your mother? It sounds like you have a mighty big story on your back. Wanna tell us?"

"No way! You're going to laugh at me, say I'm weak, and I'll be the laughing stock of the school! Just look at what happened to Spoon!"

"Tell me, what does Spoon have anything to do with this story? And don't worry, we promise we won't mention any events that happened this night to anypony. It'll be our little secret, alright?"

"Alright. All three of you, Pinkie promise me that _none_ of this becomes public, because if it does, oh _man_, you'll be sorry!"

They all said, in unison, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" and even I had to admit it was pretty cute. I'm still far more adorable, but at least they're trying.

I took a deep breath, and said, "My mother has always been harsh on me, and it seemed like nothing would impress her. My parents…broke up when I was four, and I spent most of my life with my dad. When I met with my mom in third grade, I tried to give her this tiara, which I made, even receiving my cutie-mark from it but she dismissed it as…tacky! Even before that, I had discovered I had a quick wit and could dish out insults to prevent me and Silver Spoon from getting bullied. I also am a huge family mare, so I really took all of the things my mom said to heart. So, as you can probably guess, that's what led to the beginning of my desire to become queen bee, and to prove to everypony I'm special, because I _know _I am. But, after the leadership project, my mom began calling me a traitor, because I was socializing too much with my business enemy, which is you, Apple Bloom. So, this pushed me even harder to prove that I was the best. But, of course, you three had to RUIN some of my plans! My cute-ceañera? Failed. My plan to humiliate Bloom with Granny Smith? Also failed! The pride of knowing that Stinkin' Rich has lasted longer than Granny Smith? Forget about it! My grandfather died when I was in first grade, and he was the one who thought I was the most special! To make things worse, between my cute-ceañera and Family Appreciation Day, Discord thought it would be a _fun _idea to turn my mother…into a mental patient named Screwball! And the icing upon this cake of failure lies right in front of you. So, yeah, my life sucks! Are you happy?"

When I was finished, the reaction I got was nothing like I expected. I expected them to begin laughing at me for my horrible life, but to my surprise, they looked very sympathetic!

Apple Bloom said, "Ouch! Man, if I had known all of that, ah wouldn't dare to show of that fake cutie mark ah got! I'm really sorry for all of the crap you've been through."

Then, Scootaloo said, "Yeah…man, that's a real bummer! If you would have told us all of that earlier, there's no way we'd be hostile to you in any way!"

Finally, Sweetie Belle said, "That sounds horrible! And I thought my troubles with my sister Rarity were bad! By the way, is your talent jewelry making?"

I responded, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because I can't help Rarity design clothes at the Carousel Boutique in any way! I'm sure that if you were to work there, you talent in jewelry would help her out so much!"

I felt like I was literally about to pass out from the joy I was experiencing from her offer. My jaw almost fell to the floor, but I was still able to say, "You mean you want _me _to work with Rarity designing clothes and jewelry? Ohmygosh! I'd love to! Thank you!" and with that I hugged her for about a half a minute.

"Don't mention it, Diamond Tiara! I'm sure I could hang out at Twilight's library if you need me to! I know you'll be a great help to Rarity's business, because doing all of the work alone puts some stress on her."

"Yeah! Working with Rarity, man, what a treat!"

But, my jubilance departed as soon as it began, because right after I said that last statement, I heard noisy sirens. It was the ambulance. As soon as I saw a pony walk out from its trunk, I directed them to the body. Then, I asked the driver for a ride to the hospital, and he complied. As I was leaving the CMC, I heard all three of them say, "Good luck, Diamond Tiara!" and then their words dissipated in a swirl of sound waves from the siren.

Again, ten minutes later, we got to the hospital, followed my Silver Spoon being escorted to one of the rooms, via a stretcher. I followed close behind, but they were moving pretty quickly. Fortunately, the room wasn't very far from the entrance.

After about five minutes of pain, despair, and shouts of the phrase "Wake up, Spoon!" by yours truly, my good friend Doctor Ate arrived. He checked Spoon's pulse, as well as her vital signs, and all I could do is watch, knowing that this whole nightmare was caused by…me. Finally, the good doctor turned to me.

He said, "Well…I'm afraid your friend is in a coma, and she appears to be paralyzed from the waist down."

"What does that mean?"

"The coma means that she is in a deep slumber, and it is uncertain when she will wake up, and the paralysis means that her legs are now, most likely, useless."

"No! Spoon, I'm so sorry! Please, wake up!"

"I'm really sorry, Mrs. Tiara…" he said, before leaving the room.

I took this time…to cry. I cried for a long, long time, before I decided to listen to some music. Maybe singing would help me feel better! I found my music player in my saddle bag, put on the earphones, and played the most depressing song I could find. I began to sing…

(Lyrics to Untitled: Simple Plan)

_I open my eyes_

_I try to see but I'm blinded by the bright light…_

_I try to forget how_

_But I can't forget why_

_I'm lying here tonight_

_And I can't stand this pain_

_Yet I can't make it go away_

_It's just a mark of shame…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_It's too much to take_

_I'm lost and ashamed_

_The night goes on, as I'm _

_Fading away_

_I'm sick of my life_

_I just wanna cry!_

_How could this happen to me?_

_Everypony's running_

_They've got somewhere to go_

_And I'll be left alone…_

_I'm slipping off this edge_

_I'll soon be gripping air_

_I wanna start this over again…_

_So I try to hold…_

_Onto a time when…nothing mattered_

_But I can't escape disaster_

_And I can't erase the things that I've done…_

_No I can't_

_How could this happen to me?_

_It's too much to take_

_I'm lost and ashamed_

_The night goes on, as I'm _

_Fading away_

_I'm sick of my life_

_I just wanna cry!_

_How could this happen to me?_

During the solo, I gripped and shook Silver Spoon like a madmare, yelling, "Spoon! Wake up! Please!" …but it was no use. The damage was done. I sighed, and then slowly trudged over to the window, where I sang the final chorus…

_It's too much to take_

_I'm lost and ashamed_

_The night goes on, as I'm _

_Fading away!_

_I'm sick of my life_

_I just wanna cry!_

_How could this happen to me?_

After taking a deep breath, and checking Spoon for the fiftieth time, she was still unconscious. Dear Celestia, I had certainly screwed up this time.

The worst part is I imagined Silver Spoon saying, when and if she wakes up, "Diamond! Why in Celestia's flank have you been such a bad friend to me? You suck! Leave Ponyville so I don't have to look at you anymore, you rich bitch!" so it wasn't as if my constant presence would fix anything.

However, before I simply left the hospital to get home before my bedtime, I heard a yell, "Diamond Tiara? Where are you?"

I knew that voice. It was Ripe Orange.

So, not to be even more ashamed, I yelled, "I'm right here, Ripe Orange!"

"Diamond! Oh, man, it's good to see…you, Silver Spoon's unconscious, isn't she?"

"Very observant! There's no way in Celestia she is going to forgive me for putting her through all of this…so I don't even know why I'm here."

"I know why. It's because you and Spoon have developed such a great bond, that you took her to the hospital yourself. That's what happened, right?"

"Well…yes…I did take her from the Everfree Forest, but I caused her coma and paralysis! Even if I were to go to this hospital every day…she isn't going to forgive me for putting her through that much trauma."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Diamond Tiara? This _isn't_ you! You're brave, outspoken, and confident! I shouldn't be telling you that Silver Spoon is going to forgive you, because you've done your best for her!"

Just like that, I suddenly awakened. He was absolutely right. I have been a great friend to Silver Spoon, and while the technology doesn't exist to stop her paralysis, I now had a reason to be famous. If being famous meant that I could get the first paralysis-curing potion, then that just adds to my motivation. I shouldn't be using her coma as an excuse to cry and feel miserable, I should use it as a stepping stone to greatness! Right then, I made a promise to myself. I would protect Silver Spoon as my friend from then on, so that she wouldn't have to deal with this pain by herself!

I was motivated, and I said, "Thank you, Ripe…for motivating me! I'm going to protect Spoon, she's going to wake up, and I'm going to get the first paralysis-curing potion! Just you wait!"

"That's the Diamond Tiara I know! Welcome back."

Almost in tears, I gave Ripe another big hug, this one more passionate than my last. I knew I could accomplish this goal I had set my life to fulfilling, and I also knew that I had to be even more passionate and outgoing if I was ever going to fulfill it.

About a week later, my dad showed me an e-mail for the school newspaper, which said they needed an editor-in-chief. After my dad explained what an editor-in-chief was, I sent an e-mail to Cheerilee, stating that I was eager to get the position.

Sure enough, she accepted my e-mail, and after about another week in the hospital, seeing if there was anything I could do to help Spoon, I returned to school.

After class, I trotted out so that I could make a good entrance. After I heard Cheerilee give me the cue (the doors weren't that thick, so I could hear clearly), I opened the door, smiled, and gave my mane a nice little flick, and I'd have to say I succeeded in making that introduction I wanted.

Once everypony saw me, they said, "Diamond Tiara?" and I walked over, with a "that's right" expression on my face.

Anyway, after Cheerilee closed the door, I got right down to business.

I said, "Alright, listen up!" before bucking the chalkboard, bringing down a poster of me. (I file my _front_ hooves with diamonds, thank you very much!) Then, I said, bluntly, "The Foal Free Press is a joke."

After a few gasps, I continued. "Nopony at this school takes it seriously. Well I, the editor-in-chief in charge, am going to deliver us to new found glory!" and…the only response was a cheer from Truffle Shuffle, a relatively obese pony with a gray mane, a fork and a knife as a cutie mark, and a messy brown mane. I hate my life!

Anyway, I pressed forward. "First things first, where's the staff photographer?" Guess what? It was that skinny pony who was the first victim to my bullying ways. Apparently, his name was Featherweight (Appropriate…) and he just barely raised his hand.

After he did, I said, "Get out there and document everything. I'll decide what's important. The rest of you, I want hard-hitting news and interesting think pieces. No more namby-pamby stories like last year's editor."

Of course, a _very_ pink pony named Berry Pinch had to say, "But Namby-Pamby was a great editor!" She's very lucky I didn't choke her then and there for the horrific pun.

But, I kept my cool. "Well, there's a new regime now, and I want juicy stories, the juicier the better! Now get out there and report!" and with that, I bucked again, and the poster was gone.

After a day of absolute nonsense, I was getting fed up with all of the crappy stories I received. I can't really remember any of them, but they most certainly were not juicy! So, when the CMC finally came in, my fuse was getting quite short.

I said to them, "I hope you've got something, because everything so far is unusable. Baby Birds Born... Rarity's Hot New Hat... Ponyville: The Early Years...?" and with that, I snapped.

I shoved the papers aside, then walked up to them with anger in my eyes, shouting, "I don't know what you call this, but it sure isn't news!"

When I finally pinned them against the wall, I yelled, "Get something else on my desk by the end of the day, and it better be juicy!" and with that, I triggered a spring that forced them out of my office. What? You think I kicked them? Pft, again, I'm not that cruel!

Anyway, I was forced to sit with my head down until lunch, where the CMC…get this, actually gave me a great story! Snips and Snails had _bubblegum_ stuck to their bums, literally, and Featherweight had gotten a picture of it. I legitimately complimented them for their work, and the next day's Foal Free Press was an absolute sensation.

On that day, I said to the CMC, "Your column is a sensation! I don't want you doing news anymore. I want more columns like this. Columns about ponies and their private lives, the things they do when they think they're alone, you three are my new gossip columnists! And I love the way you signed it! Gabby Gums? That was a stroke of genius!"

Sweetie Belle responded to my praise by saying, "We couldn't fit all of our names, so we decided to create one for all three of us."

"I'm not sure you know how brilliant your pen name actually is, so let me tell you. First off, it's catchy and simple, something that just stands out for the reader. Second off, it doesn't give away who actually wrote the column, and you'll be grateful for that later. Finally, it's like a seal of approval! If you three managed to get a gossip story around this boring school, then the sky is the limit! I want more Gabby Gums! Nice work, girls!" and with that, I turned my chair around.

I was absolutely shocked that I was spurting out this many compliments, but the CMC gave me exactly what I wanted, and combined with them sympathizing with me, I actually thought they deserved those compliments.

But…after about two days, I got no other columns worth using. However, when I was about to give up on the stupid paper, the CMC had another column waiting for me.

Once I saw it, I said, "Pound and Pumpkin Cake trip to the store ends in tears. Gabby Gums comes through again!" and immediately afterwards, Truffle Shuffle came up to me.

Once he spoke, he said, "The Ponyville news stand wants to carry the Foal Free Press! Ponies keep coming by and asking for it!" Mission complete! I knew a gossip column was _exactly_ what Ponyville needed, and I was determined to make the paper daily so that everypony could enjoy it!

"Send 'em twenty copies, and if they run out of those, we'll send 'em twenty more! You three are doing a great job for this paper. Keep those columns coming, and thank you for giving me a hand!" I said, ecstatic about the amount of progress this paper had made. I also hoped my encouragement would allow the CMC to become more motivated and create more columns.

That's exactly what happened. In the span of three days, they created three more columns. However…their third column, well, to be blunt, sucked. An interview with Spike, a dragon? No, no, no! And to make things worse, they thought it was a good column!

I felt obligated to give them a sense of reality and said, after Scootaloo claimed it was their best column, "More like your worst column yet! Gabby Gums didn't become the biggest thing in Ponyville with namby-pamby stories like this!" and proceeded to throw it back in their face. A little cruel, but it got the message across.

And, hey, it really did motivate the CMC to create more gossip columns, and after about a week and a half, six columns were posted on the Foal Free Press.

However, the seventh one…I felt a little bad about publishing. It was a column reprinting Rarity's diary!

When I got the column, I said, "Wait…our gossip column today is going to be a reprint of Rarity's diary?"

Sweetie Belle responded by saying, "Yeah! Great gossip, huh?"

I sighed. "I'll have to publish this so that Ponyville doesn't get angry about the Foal Free Press diverging from daily status, but let me warn you…this is pretty darn harsh. Be very careful about getting caught, because if you do, it will get ugly."

Unfortunately, I don't think they were listening to my warning, because Rarity apparently figured out who Gabby Gums was the day after the article was published!

I say this because when I was approached by the CMC, Sweetie Belle was the first to say they wanted to quit.

Enraged, I said, "No! I won't let you quit!"

Sweetie Belle responded to my rage by saying, "But the gossip we've been printing is hurting everypony's feelings!"

"Feelings? I don't care about feelings! That's the number one rule in business, and I intend to abide by it! Gabby Gums is my bread and butter, and I'm not gonna let you goody-two-horseshoes take that away from me!"

"We're sorry; Diamond Tiara, but we've made our decision."

After that, Scootaloo took my bait by saying, "Yeah, you can't force us to keep gossiping."

As a matter of fact I could, so I pulled out a manila folder that contained…yep, more blackmail, and said, "When you see these... you may not want to quit after all."

I threw the folder on the ground, revealing embarrassing photos taken when the CMC were getting their first stories.

Needless to say, that shut them up, and I continued. "I told Featherweight to document everything...and that's exactly what he did!" and then I proceeded up the folder, evading an attempt by Scootaloo to retrieve it.

I finished by saying, "Sorry, girls, property of the Foal Free Press. And if Gabby Gums really does go into retirement, I'll need something to fill that empty column space. Now get out there and bring me more Gabby Gums!" and then I turned my chair back around.

Towards the end of the day, the CMC returned. However, I didn't see a column with them.

Sweetie Belle started the conversation by saying, "Diamond Tiara…we tried, really, but we can't get any dirt, because nopony will talk with us!"

"Really? Do you have any photographic proof?"

All of a sudden, Featherweight came in, and gave the CMC some photos. They passed the photos to me, and I saw that what they were saying…was true. Applejack and Big Macintosh were obstinate, Twilight had a magical sphere around her library, Rainbow Dash had rained on them, and Fluttershy wouldn't even open her cottage.

I had to make a decision. "Very well. I do have some photos of Twist, so I suppose I could post those on the gossip page today. However, I'll only give you one more day. If you can't find any gossip by the end of the next day, I'm afraid you know what's going to happen. I want this to be a daily newspaper, and that process hasn't failed me yet! So, you have one more day to get me a story. That's it."

All of the CMC responded, simultaneously, "Thank you, Diamond Tiara! That's all we need!" and with that, they left.

The next day went by very slowly, and I repeatedly looked at the door hoping the CMC would arrive. I didn't want to post those pictures, but I knew I couldn't let my feelings get in the way of business. My decision was final, unalienable if it were. And, after a long day, the doors remained closed.

I sighed, and then said, "That's it, Gabby Gums is out of time. Run these instead!" I said, passing the pictures to Shady Daze, a light blue pony, covered in ink, with a blue mane to be published.

Sorry girls, but business comes first in my life.

Your time is up.

* * *

Oh, boy, cliffhanger! I'm sorry about not finishing this, but I feel like the final part would be better for the next chapter. Again, please let me know if you have any suggestions or improvements I could make on this story, there's no need to be hesitant! Again, thank you all for inspiring me to get this far. More is on the way!

Next Chapter: Diamond's POV of Ponyville Confidential comes to a conclusion, and the stress of the entire situation could end up driving Diamond to insanity. Will Diamond survive? Will I develop Pipsqueak and Dinky Hooves more? And will Granny Smith get to that apology? Find out, next time!


	14. Friendship is Magic

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 14

Happy Mother's day weekend to everypony! I hope it all has gone well, and I hope all of you are ready for another fun-filled chapter of A Diamond in the Rough!

REDgirl2723: I'm very sorry, but could I ask you for a favor? I can't seem to find A Diamond in the Rough on your site, and I looked everywhere! So, could you please send me a link to my story? If you do, I promise I will update my FimFiction and Deviantart accounts to have a journal with that link, so that they can read it on your site! Also, thank you for pointing out that mistake. I really did think it was Caramel, so I probably wouldn't have caught it! It has been updated. Again, thank you for being an amazing fan!

Here we go! It's time for Chapter 14 and the exciting conclusion of Diamond's POV in Ponyville Confidential!

Cussing = here.

* * *

As soon as I sent the pictures to Shady Daze, the door opened only to reveal the CMC.

Once they appeared, Sweetie Belle yelled, "Stop the presses!"

Shady Daze responded by saying, "Uh…they haven't started yet!" followed by yours truly completing a facehoof. These puns are really driving me up the haystack.

Then, Scootaloo got my attention. "We have a Gabby Gums column!" and according to the notepad they were holding, she was being sincere.

Still a little ticked for having to make up yesterday's headlines, I said, "Hmph, you're lucky I'm nice!" then proceeded to toss the notepad to Shady Daze, without reading it because, honestly, I was desperate for a story after the previous day.

Finally, I said, "This better not happen again, or else!" following with a decapitation gesture.

After an hour, I finally walked out of the office, relieved, saying, "Well done, Diamond Tiara, you've averted yet another crisis with your amazing diplomatic skills!"

Then, all of a sudden, I realized that I hadn't checked their story, and I became very fearful of what I had just published. So fearful…in fact, that I shoved someone aside just to look at it.

Once I had shoved them aside, my fears were realized. They published an apology article. Those…_bitches!_

I was enraged, and once I had finished analyzing their article, I said, "Ooh, they're not gonna get away with this! I'll publish those photos tomorrow! They messed with the wrong pony!" and with that, I walked home with the feeling on vengeance consuming me. But, before I did that, I realized that I had shoved Dinky aside, so I just said, "My bad!" and handed her the paper. Even then, I barely got any sleep or homework done, and I went to school the next day a vengeful mare.

Unfortunately, after the school session, Cheerilee publicly announced that I wasn't the editor-in-chief anymore! When she took my poster down, I felt like strangling somepony, forcing them to puke blood. I let the CMC know I hated their decision by giving them a spiteful raspberry.

Originally, I thought that the situation wasn't too bad, even though it did really infuriate me. I could recover from that, if that was all life decided to dish out at me. Unfortunately, Celestia took that day to completely hate and loathe me, because what happened next…broke me.

Cheerilee announced that _Featherweight_ of all ponies would be the new editor-in-chief, which to me seemed like the equivalent of tossing a bucket of oil in a raging fire.

To express my dissatisfaction, I delivered one of the dumbest lines I've ever said in my life, which was, "Oh, him? But what about me?" The sad thing is I actually believed tempting fate was a bad idea, but I was too upset over Cheerilee humiliating me by inferring that I was a terrible leader, when she was the one who motivated me to come back to school!

Sure enough, I got a terrible answer, as Shady Daze tossed me a visor, and then said, "Here ya go! I've been promoted to staff photographer!"

I then proceeded to get ink all over me, and the entire class began laughing at me! After the death of my great-grandfather, the loss of my mother, and the almost complete loss of my best friend, the idea of being humiliated and, most likely being claimed "not special" was as much as I could take. My heart was like an atom bomb, and the fuse had made contact with that bomb. I'm sure you know what's about to happen.

Yep, that's right, I exploded with rage.

I proceeded to kick the entire ink printing device out of the window, threw the hat back at Shady Daze, almost putting him IN a shady daze, and then began to scream.

I yelled, "Shut up! All of you, just shut up! You all suck and don't deserve a leader like me! I put my all into this project! I had a vision! And you just spat on it! Why? I'm aggresive, but I was able to get your stupid paper to Ponyville! Do you really think I'm useless? If so, I'm leaving, and don't expect me to come back, you lazy, heartless, _assholes!_" and with that, I ran back only to bump into Ripe Orange.

After our collision, he said, in a calm soothing voice, "Diamond, is it alright if I make a speech to try to get for a little sympathy for us? I'm just as angry as you are about the treatment of our class, and I think I can get them to give you the respect you deserve."

Battered and weak, I nodded my head, and he stood up and looked at all of the ponies in the room with one of the fiercest glares I've ever seen.

He said, "Let me be blunt. Back in Manehattan, no one even talked to me because I was richer than them, even though I tried my best to be friendly. Coming to Ponyville, I expected the treatment to be different, and while it did improve, it still is sickening. I'm well aware that the gossip column wasn't the best idea in the world, but you need to look beyond that. Diamond Tiara took a terrible school newspaper, and turned it into something that has become more popular than any newspaper I've seen in Ponyville and Manehattan. Why are we making her miserable? Are we taking the time to analyze what possible consequences are actions have on her? Absolutely not! Ponies tend to believe that since we have all the tangible objects we could ever want, our emotions are in check, so there really is no need to help us, right? Again, absolutely not! In fact, we normally don't get support from our families, so adding that to the few to no ponies who are willing to befriend us, you get a lot of loneliness. We are ponies too. We have emotions, desires, as well, so why are we not accepted? All the ponies in Ponyville attend the same school, so we are in the same classes as those who are "less fortunate than us" in terms of living conditions and artifacts. I can guarantee you, while Diamond Tiara wants to prove that she is special, and I can also guarantee you she wants to be part of this society. She wants to help! I want to help! So please, just let us into this school society so that we can experience joy instead of emptiness. You will not regret it, I promise!"

During that speech, I could feel my heart warm to the extents of which I could not believe. Everything he said was true, and when he finished, you could hear a microscopic pin drop. I felt like the emotion was literally swelling up inside me, and it was able to break loose.

Cheerilee was the first one to break the silence, by saying, "Well...those certainly were interesting points. Are all of those points true for you?"

"Absolutely, Miss Cheerilee!"

"Alright, then, are you sure this is how Diamond Tiara feels, Ripe Orange?"

Then, I finally spoke up, yelling, "I'm...I'm...I'm sorry!"

All of a sudden, everypony gasped, because this was probably the first time I ever apologized in any manner to anypony.

So I continued, by tearfully saying, "I'm...really sorry! I...know that I shouldn't have shouted out, but I really have been under so much stress lately! My best friend is comatose because of me! I...just wanted to prove that I'm special even more...for her. She...is paralyzed, and I promised her...she'd be the first person to get the paralysis cure! I know...she isn't awake yet...but I know she will be! I...need...help!" and with that, I saw everypony smile at me.

Cheerilee responded by asking, "Ripe Orange, did Silver Spoon truly become comatose?"

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee. I've seen her."

Cheerilee then said, "Wow. Class, I believe Diamond Tiara should get a round of applause for admitting that. That certainly was tough to say, and being able to come back from a traumatic event like that and still get our newspaper to Ponyville...really is wonderful! Fantastic job, Diamond Tiara!"

With that, everypony in the room put their hooves together for me…even Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, with Ripe Orange standing in the middle. He appeared to be accepted into this society, and now…it was my turn.

For the first time in my life, tears fell down my eyes in public. But these weren't tears of pain. These were tears of joy. I had finally been accepted into this school, and I finally felt relieved of the burden of acting so uptight. Being vulnerable revealed the other side of me, and everypony enjoyed…who I was. Eventually, the joy took over, and I felt myself running towards the entire crowd to give them the biggest hug I had ever given anypony.

In tears, I choked out, "Thank you…thank…you…so…much! I…feel…truly…happy! This…is…so…wonderful! I'm...sorry. I've…never…experienced…this before! Thank you, thank you, thank you, all of you! I…feel blessed to be around so many great ponies!" and they all appeared to be happy for me.

Even the CMC said, "Great job, Diamond Tiara!" and that really did mean a lot after I almost ruined their reputation. From then on, I tried my best not to poke fun at them. Besides, it was getting a little dated anyway.

For the first time in my life…I felt loved, and it was all thanks…to Ripe Orange.

I felt obligated to repay him the most, so I found him in the crowd, and planted a big kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush.

Then, I said, "Thank you…for saving my life."

He responded by saying, "It's nothing…really! I'm just glad both of us are beginning to be accepted here. It…feels great. Thank you for giving me a reason to escape my horrible life. Diamond…will you be my friend?"

"Of course! You, I, and Spoon could be the most unstoppable trio in Ponyville! Doesn't that sound awesome?"

"That sounds wonderful! Thank you for inspiring me."

"Ditto! I can't wait to hang out with you and Silver Spoon some more!"

"I'm glad to hear that! Well, I've got to get back to my house."

"Wait! Why don't you come and have a look at my mansion! I could give you the same tour as Spoon!"

"That sounds wonderful!"

"Great! Let's go right now!"

"Alright, Diamond!" and with that, he walked along with me. I never thought in a million years that I'd become best friends with a colt, but then again, he wasn't from Ponyville. I'm sure Manehattan produced better colts than Snips, Snails; Featherweight…you get my point.

One of our more intriguing topic points was the concern about each of our businesses.

I actually started that point by saying, "So, Ripe, your family runs a business, right?"

"Yes, what about that, Diamond?"

"What's that business about?"

"Well, our family is business partners with yours, so we get most of the materials from Barnyard Bargains. Then, we sell them for heightened prices. Considering the objects we sell are rare, ponies will buy them, and we get cash when they do."

"I see. Very interesting! I didn't know we were business partners with anyone. That also explains why dad contacted you to help me during the aftermath of my panic attack, right?"

"Exactly!" and with that, we arrived at my mansion.

Ripe wasn't as paralyzed as Spoon when he saw it, but he did look pretty impressed with the colossal stature of it.

When I asked him, "So, what do you think?"

"That…is really awesome, Diamond! No wonder you guys are considered to be the richest family in Ponyville!"

"Ah, come on! Don't make assumptions…until you walk inside!" and with that, I opened the door, showed him all of the rooms, and even showed him my very pink room.

When Ripe saw my room, he said, "So…pink's your favorite color, right?"

"Yep! My mane is pink, I'm adorable, so do the math!"

"I completely agree with all of those statements. I guess I really didn't need to ask, huh?"

"I suppose not. Take a look at these!" I said, pointing to all of the business books. Again, he looked very impressed with the sheer magnitude of the books.

However, after about ten seconds of looking, he picked up a book and asked, "May I borrow this book? It contains a business process that my parents use, but won't explain to me."

"Sure thing! It's always nice to see somepony interested in business like I am! In fact, from now on, you don't need to ask about borrowing one of these. I have a lot, and if I need a certain book, I'll know who to contact!" I responded with a wink, causing him to blush again. I enjoyed having that power. It was fun.

"Sounds great! Well, goodbye, Diamond! It was really fun hanging out with such a beautiful filly!" He sure knew how to deliver compliments, that's for sure!

"Goodbye, Ripe!" and with that, he walked out the door.

Afterwards, I realized I hadn't checked on Spoon in a little while, so I went back to the hospital. She was still in a coma, but Doctor Ate told me her condition was improving. I was still a little worried about how this would damage our friendship, but I knew that as long as I was there by her side when she woke up, everything should be fine.

During the next weekend, I was taking a walk, only to be approached by the CMC.

Sweetie Belle started off the conversation by saying, "Diamond Tiara, you got your cutie-mark early on in your life, so could you give us any pointers towards getting ours?"

I made absolutely certain that no one was watching me, and then said softly, "Well…it's something that comes from the soul. I think you have to perform something for someone close to you, like when I made a tiara for my mom as a present."

Scootaloo then said, "Oh! I get it! So, if I were to do some tricks on my scooter for Rainbow Dash…"

Sweetie Belle responded by saying, "And if I were to ask Twilight what she thinks I'm good at…"

Apple Bloom responded to that by saying, "And if ah were to help mah family out on the farm…"

Finally, they yelled, simultaneously, "Then we'd get our cutie marks! Thanks, Diamond Tiara!" and with that, they left.

I made sure to yell out, "Don't tell anypony about what I told you!" and I'm pretty sure they heard me, thankfully. That or they'd assume I would destroy them if revealed anything about our conversation.

Anyway, after that…strange event, the weekend continued on like normal. I saw Silver Spoon for most of my weekend…and she still hadn't woken up yet. However, since the doctors told me that Silver Spoon should wake up soon, I skipped the entire week of school just to be sure I didn't miss Spoon's awakening.

Cheerilee completely understood, and gave me all of the work we had to do that week. It was a good deal of schoolwork, but I was able to pace myself accordingly to get it all done.

Finally, at the end of the week, when I finished with all of my homework, I saw Silver Spoon stir in her sleep for a little. Coincidently, on that same day, a Friday, Ripe Orange came into the hospital to check on me, since his parents had a business conference, so I was in a better mood overall.

Anyway, I told the doctors about Silver Spoon stirring in her sleep, and Doctor Ate went to Spoon's room to check her condition out.

After he finished, he said, "Mrs. Tiara, I have good and bad news. The good news is your friend will wake up very soon. The bad news is she'll need a wheelchair in order to move in any way."

"Really? That's great! I'll look up wheelchairs on the computer right now!"

Yes, they had a computer in Silver Spoon's room, and it was pretty fast too. I went onto the eHoof website, and looked for a quality wheelchair. The one that I thought would be the best had two cup holders, a recliner-like seat, a button to turn on auto-wheel movement, and a device that could be used as a computer for entertainment. It also had slots to put belongings in, and it was very cheap considering the options, since it was used. But, the reports did look very sincere, and the images seemed to be accurate, so I bought it.

About an hour later, Spoon's eyes appeared to move very slightly, and I could hear a soft sigh escaping from her mouth. Finally, she opened her eyes, for the first time in about a month.

The first words out of her mouth were, "Diamond Tiara? Where am I?"

"Spoon! First off, I'm really glad to see you alive and breathing. Second off…well…you're in the hospital. Remember that stupid wagon event?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…that. How long have I been in here?"

"About a month. Listen, I'm really, _really_ sorry I put you through all of this, but as soon as I found you in the Everfree Forest, unconscious, I took all of the precautions to get you to the hospital ASAP. Unfortunately, I couldn't save your legs…from paralysis…" I concluded, with my eyes beginning to water once more.

Silver Spoon gasped, then shouted, "What? You mean I can't walk? Really? That's horrible!"

Pained, I continued by stating, "Well, I bought a wheelchair for you, but still, you won't be able to walk. But, I promise you, I'll get famous enough so that when a cure comes out, you'll get the first sample!"

"Thanks, Diamond...but, are you sure that no one can help me walk again?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have roped you into this situation, and I feel really bad about this, but I promise I'll do everything I can to get you to walk on your back two hooves again!

Afterwards, Silver Spoon took a deep breath, paused, then finally said, "Well...I am a little mad that I can't walk. But, immediately, I really don't think it will affect me too much, since I don't really like to run, and I play piano, that uses my front two hooves. Diamond...I think I can deal with this. Don't be angry at yourself for what happened to me, alright, Diamond?"

"I'm not, Spoon. I'm really not angry at myself. I made a promise to myself that I'd protect you from any after effects that resulted from this terrible accident, and if somepony makes fun of you, they'll have to break me first before getting to you!"

Silver Spoon smiled, and then said, "Diamond, you're the best friend I could ask for. You care for me, you've got a great attitude, you're outgoing, and I'm proud to be able to call you my bestie. Besties forever, Diamond?" she said, holding out her hoof.

"Besties!" I responded, giving her a bump.

I was so glad I had not one, but two best friends in my life, and they always warmed my soul with their presence.

Friendship truly _is_ magic!

* * *

Ah, at long last, the primary conflict of this story has begun to decrease! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you have been able to sympathize with Diamond enough in the previous thirteen chapters to be able to feel happy for her. Just remember, friendship is magic!

Next Chapter: Diamond, warmed by the magic of friendship, begins to loosen up a little. But when the CMC are picked for a grand event instead of her, will her mean side triumph? And will I finally develop Pip and Dinky? Find out, next time!


	15. Stories

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 15

Hello, everypony! Man, oh man, this story certainly has gone through a lot. I don't mean to sound whiny, but I am feeling a little blue that my story got completely rejected from EQD, and I almost completely screwed up the climax of the story by adding redundant statements to Ripe Orange's big speech. So…yeah! I'll address the reviews now!

REDgirl2723: I really hope that you get a link soon, because I really do want to promote this website, but when even I can't find my own story on your site…there isn't much I can do. Very sorry about that, but I'm glad you've decided to put my story on your site, even if I can't find it! Thanks for being a great fan!

DisneyPrincess: After having my story mercilessly attacked on FimFiction and EQD, I was even happier to see your review than normal. I can't express how much gratitude I have for your constant support of my story, and it's because of fans like you that push me to keep going forward. I really hope you read the revised version of Ripe Orange's speech, because the original sucked, and I would hate to disappoint such a dedicated fan. Also, I'm very glad you enjoyed Diamond's POV on Ponyville Confidential, and as I said, I was able to feed it in quite well with my story, because Diamond truly does make progress in that episode. The business and strong leadership I knew she could exhibit became canon in that episode, and you have no idea how thrilled I was because of that. That's probably why it ranks in my Top 5, maybe even Top 3 MLP: FIM episodes! But, I digress. I really hope you continue to read and enjoy this story, and I feel blessed to have fans like you read it!

Time for Chapter 15 to commence!

* * *

After a lengthy hug between me and Spoon, my cell phone began buzzing.

I picked it up, and said, "Hello? This is Diamond Tiara."

The voice on the other end, which sounded masculine, responded by asking, "Diamond Tiara? Are you the one who purchased a wheelchair from Ponyville Hospital?"

"Exactly. Is it here already?"

"No, but it should be arriving in about one hour. Did you alert the front desk?"

"No, I didn't. I'll tell them right now! Bye!" and with that, I hung up.

After a brief walk to and from the receptionist, which took about five minutes, I was finally able to talk with my best friend again.

One of Spoon's first questions was, "Hey, Diamond? What's happened since I passed out?"

"Not much, but get this! I managed to become the editor-in-chief of our newspaper! I even got it up to Ponyville for a little bit, thanks to the gossip column I created! And, guess what? The CMC of all ponies were the ones who got all of the juicy stories!"

"Wow! Not much? That sounds like a lot! Um…I'm a little afraid to ask this, but are you the editor-in-chief anymore?"

I cringed, so Ripe Orange spoke up for me. "No, she isn't. But, I did manage to increase the prestige of both of us through a speech I gave to the entire class! So, in a way, it wasn't all bad!"

Silver Spoon, with those sparkles in her eyes, said, "Cool! What was your name again?"

"I'm Ripe Orange. You're Silver Spoon, Diamond's best friend, right? It's a pleasure to meet you!" he said, extending his hoof.

Silver Spoon shook it, and then said, "Same here! Did Diamond tell you about…my condition?"

"Yes, she's told me a lot of positive stuff about you. She even said we three should hang out together some more, and we might be able to form a small band, since I play guitar, Diamond plays the saxophone and sings, and finally, you play the piano, right?"

"A band? But…I'm paralyzed!"

"I heard Diamond promise you that she would protect you, and since I'm her friend, I'll do my best to help you as well!"

With my head held high, I said, "Ripe, I don't know how no one befriended you before you came to Ponyville, but now you're part of the most unstoppable trio in Ponyville! I know that we're going to prove to Ponyville and even Equestria that we are very special ponies! Who's with me?"

With that, both Ripe Orange and Silver Spoon shouted a passionate, "I am!" in response to my query, and I could tell my life was finally looking up. It definitely took a while, but I'm glad I finally got there, and, really, it's all thanks to that paralyzed mare and that guitar playing colt.

After simple conversations which I don't really remember, the wheelchair finally arrived. I signed a few papers, gave him a cheque (I always carry my checkbook with me) and then the wheelchair was mine, and soon about to be Spoon's.

After a few minutes, I walked into Spoon's room shouting, "Check out this bad colt! Pretty awesome, isn't it? And it's yours! Aren't I generous?"

Spoon's eyes again became dominated by sparkles, and she seemed at a loss for words. "Diamond…you're…wow…that's…amazing!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let me get you acquainted with Mr. Wheelchair!" and with that, I picked her up and gently placed her in the wheelchair. She wasn't that heavy, and dancing really improved my muscles, so it was relatively simple.

Her behavior in that chair was that of a filly receiving her first dollhouse. She examined and felt everything the wheelchair had to offer, and I could tell she would be content with her new home. I was very happy that I could help her recover from this horrible tragedy I put her through, and gave her one more hug. Then, I gave Ripe another hug just out of joy.

Finally, I asked Spoon, "Ready to go home?"

She responded with a swift "Yes!" and I said my goodbyes to Ripe before leaving the hospital. The walk was long and the wheelchair was a little heavier than I thought, but it really was no big deal.

After we arrived at Spoon's house, we said our goodbyes, while fighting back tears successfully, and I finally walked all the way home, and went to bed. It was the first real night I actually felt happy and content with my life, and at the age of twelve, that really is saying a lot.

During the weekend, dad approached me and said, "Diamond, I'd like for you to simply have a chat with Granny Smith."

"Why, dad?"

"Well…remember when Stinkin' told you all of those fun stories based on his experiences?"

"Oh yeah, I loved those! Do old ponies tell better stories because they've been through more experiences than other ponies?"

"Diamond, you have a wit quicker than lightning! That's exactly why I want you to see her. I know she'll apologize to you for what she did…earlier, and I just think this would be a good way to show you even enemies can bond in business. It's not like a war, after all."

"Alright, fine. I'm not going to expect a lot, though!"

"Fair enough. Have a good time, Diamond!"

After that, I walked all the way over to Sweet Apple Acres, knocked on the door, and asked to see Granny Smith.

Apple Bloom, who answered the door, said, "Oh, she's upstairs! Ah'm sure she'll be willin' to talk with ya!"

I nodded, and then went to the uppermost room in their rickety house, where I then knocked lightly on the door.

My response was, "Whuh? Apple Bloom, half-pint? That you?"

Then, I said, "It's Diamond Tiara, Granny Smith. My dad wanted me to simply talk with you."

"Hmm…alright, come in, young'un!"

I obeyed, and to my surprise, she still appeared to be in great condition even though she's probably the oldest mare in Ponyville!

She was the first to speak, by saying, "Look, young'un. Ah apologize for flippin' out like that earlier, but ah'm still mad about losing all of mah traditions!"

I was confused towards her attraction towards traditions, so I asked, "First off, I accept your apology. But, why does tradition play such a big part in your life? Don't you want to embrace newer technology so that you can really help your farm?"

"Young'un, tradition is what made this farm. It's what allowed me to make Zap Apples, Apple Cider, and all of the other Apple related goodies we sell here in good ol' Sweet Apple Acres!"

"That does make sense, but Barnyard Bargain's has used modern tactics to eliminate most of our competitors. Why don't you want to use these tactics? I'm sure you know about them."

"'Cause Sweet Apple Acres is a farm. It ain't a business. We ain't gonna go 'round slashing prices, buying in bulk, 'cause that just ain't what we're about, young'un!"

"Wow. Again, that does make sense. Are a farm and a business really that different?"

"Darn tootin', young'un! If you Rich's come here and take over our traditions, it's not going to be Sweet Apple Acres anymore! It's going to be Rich Apple Acres! And ah'll bet that you're going to use the Film Flam brothers' machines on Zap Apples as well!"

"Y'know, that actually has a good ring to it, Rich Apple Acres! I'll suggest that to dad! Also, thanks for reminding me about the Film Flam brothers! Look, the only reason why we want to change your traditions is because your farm is so successful, yet you don't have the finances to show for all of your hard work! Isn't that just a little heartbreaking?"

She gave a great sigh, then said, "Ah think you just jogged mah memory about a great story. Wanna hear it?"

With sparkles in my eyes, I said, "Sure! I loved to hear grandpa's stories about his business! I think it would be cool to hear yours! But…can I ask you one question, first?"

"Sure, young'un! Ask away!"

"The entire Family Appreciation Day story…was all of that really true? I'm really having a hard time buying it."

"Darn tootin'! Ah remember mah past better than ah remember ten seconds from now!"

"Hmm…I don't know, it still sounds out there. The reason why I was so interested in my great-grandpa's stories was when I was young was because I thought they like my version of fairy tales!"

"Ah, that Stinkin' Rich! Always braggin' to his family! But, yes, ah can tell you that he did some crazy things!"

"Could you show me some proof? I'm rather…skeptical."

With that, she got up and gave me a contract. When I read it, I discovered that it was the contract we had with the Orange's, and it had his name on the bottom! I always thought that my dad came up with it, and that great-grandpa was making it up, but it was entirely true! Since it was the most "far out" of his stories, if that story was true, than the other stories he told were probably also true!

Almost at a loss for words, I said, "Wow! I had no idea he was being sincere about that! I always thought old mares were good at telling just tall tales, but now…wow!"

"Ah, yes, we old folks have gone through so much more than any o' you young'uns, and it makes us happy to tell 'em to fillies like you!"

"I…actually completely believe you about that! I've always had a lot of spare time, and the way great-grandpa told his stories…I thought I was in a fairy tale! Anyway, I think it would be cool to see how you compare, Granny!"

Granted, I still didn't believe her Zap Apple story, but I think it would still be interesting to hear her tell another story, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Well, alright, young'un! Don't fall asleep on me now! After ah had managed to get those Zap Apples and signed…that contract with Stinkin', we had become one of the richest families in Ponyville! Everypony lined up and tried a sample of mah amazing Zap Apple Jam! The best part about the jam is that it can go on anything! I'll bet that if you put that jam on eggs, it would taste like magic! 'Course, I was a young mare, and eventually I realized that I'd had to get married if ah were to continue on the family name! Eventually, Celestia was kind to me and I soon saw the pony who would be mah future husband! He had a brown body, a gray mane, and he wore glasses similar to your friend's! His name was Grampy, and he was quite the nice colt, and he stole mah heart, so we eventually married and produced a colt. He had a green body and a brown mane, just like mine once was! We called him Apple Cobbler, just 'cause we felt like it, and he grew up to be a hard working young colt. Afterwards, we produced three more fillies, that were also great, but Apple Cobbler was our favorite, 'cause he was just such a hard worker! Unfortunately, soon after we made our third filly, Grampy contracted a mighty deadly disease. He was in critical condition. Yet, ah still remember his last words. They were, "Granny…please…take care…of the farm. For…me…please!" and then he fell flat. It was mighty heartbreaking, but ah was strong-willed, so ah just took his words into account, and used those traditions to make Sweet Apple Acres the best dang farm in Ponyville. But, soon after, ah discovered that ah was losing money quickly! As it turns out, the royalties Stinkin' Rich paid me were barely able to pay for any new fancy equipment, so we were forced to hang on to our traditions!"

She took a deep breath, allowing some time to let her story sink in, then she continued by saying, "Ah tried to negotiate with Stinkin' Rich, but he wouldn't listen to me! Looking back, he was always so busy, that he, most likely, didn't have any real free time, but that anger really lingered in mah heart. Ah put my best into every day, and ah made sure my family did as well, so that we could survive as Ponyville's best farm! But, later on, the bit flow didn't increase, even after Apple Cobbler got a wife, and created Big Macintosh! But ah never gave up! I put that extra mile into makin' sure that our Apple Cider, and our Zap Apples were full, hearty, and most of all, delicious. And mah hard work paid off! We had lines of hundreds of ponies durin' every Zap Apple and Apple Cider season, and even to this day it warms mah soul! But, eventually, age began to take an increasingly bad effect on me. When Applejack went up to our cousins, the Orange family, ah barely even noticed, and let me tell you, if ah did realize the magnitude of that event, I would have stopped her, let me tell you. And worst off, I don't even remember how Apple Cobbler and his wife died, even when Applejack tried to tell me a few times! Young'un, my memory and life are startin' to fade away, so ah want you to promise that if you do take over my farm…please, keep the traditions that made us great! We'll give you those recipes, and you'd better make them, ya hear? Because…ah love this place more than anything, and the last thing I want…is for it to die."

With that, she finished her story. I had to admit, it was interesting and I did legitimately sympathize for her, so it looked as if she had completed her job.

A little after she finished, I said, "Good job! I think great-grandpa was better, but you certainly did keep my attention! Anyway, there's no need to worry about your farm. We definitely will take advantage of the technology Flim and Flam offered us, but trust me, I worked out a deal with them, and based on the amount of bits we will get with a monopoly, they're the ones that are getting conned!"

"Ah, you're becoming such a business pro! Ah can tell you'll make your family proud! Well, just as long as you keep our lines, our recipes, and our products, I see no reason to try and resist! Ah now know that you'll be able to upgrade our shaggy ol' barn, and ah also now know, that Stinkin' Rich was a brilliant man. Ah'm mighty sorry he fell before me, Diamond."

"It's fine! Say, how about we discuss terms for the contract between the Apple's and the Rich's?"

"You think you can handle negotiating with me, young'un?"

"I _know _I can, Granny!"

"Well then, show me what lil' miss Rich has got!"

"Very well, according to the contract, since you're the one we have to pay royalties to, and you want us to maintain your traditions, I'd like to offer one thing."

"Go on."

"I will create a written statement that says, 'as long as we keep your recipes, products, and lines, you must write Sweet Apple Acres out to us in your will.' Does that sound fair?"

"Hmm…let me think. As long as you write that you won't relocate any of mah family members, you've got a deal!"

"Understood. I'll accept your terms, and write the contract very soon! Deal!" and with that, two enemies were finally able to organize the…peace contract, if it were.

I ended our meeting by saying, "Well, you certainly are a very interesting mare! I might actually miss you a little once you leave Ponyville! It's been fun talking with you!"

"You too, young'un! See you later!"

After that statement, the door finally closed, and I found it rather difficult to wait until I left Sweet Apple Acres to do a happy dance. Right as I was about to leave, I quickly screwed that logic and began jumping up and down, waving my hooves, and repeatedly yelling, "Yes!" I was so happy that we could, at long last, claim the crown of the best business in Ponyville. I could hardly wait to tell dad!

When I saw him, I said, "Dad! Talking with Granny Smith was pretty cool! Also, I've got something else to tell you!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Diamond. What is this 'other thing'? I'm quite intrigued now."

"I negotiated with Granny Smith! As long as we follow their traditions, as in use their form of lines, products, and recipes, and not relocate any of the Apple family members, she'll give us Sweet Apple Acres in her will for free!"

"Diamond…really, I don't even know how to explain with words how impressed I am with your business skills! I mean, being my daughter, I thought you'd be good at business, but you turned out to be a prodigy! Congratulations, Diamond! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Dad!" and with that statement, I jumped into his hooves, and we gave each other a peck on the cheek.

It was actually…pretty fun talking with Granny Smith, and I realized from our conversation that the saying, "respect your elders," wasn't just a bunch of hoofwash. Sure, I didn't completely believe her stories, but they were quite interesting and did manage to keep my attention, so I couldn't complain too much.

Anyway, with that experience done, the first semester of school was coming to a close, and Spoon, Ripe, and I became very close with each other. In fact, I'd say the worst relationship was between Spoon and Ripe, and they became great friends, so that's saying something! After two weeks, the first semester ended, and while I believe I did get one B as a result of missing class for those weeks, I was proud with my academics, especially after going through all of that crap!

Towards the beginning of the second semester, the three of us managed to reserve a room after school to practice for our band.

I still remember the first practice fondly. I carried my saxophone in my saddle bag, which was lighter than you would think, and Ripe took one of the electronic keyboards from the music room, because we couldn't lift up an entire, really heavy piano!

Anyway, once everything was set up, I started a conversation by saying, "So, Ripe, Spoon, what's your favorite music genre?"

Ripe started by saying, "Mine is definitely good old rock n' roll!"

Spoon said, "I think mine is…I'd say classical, but I like pretty much all music!"

Finally, I stated, "Mine is pop! It's the most diverse, in my mind. Anyway…I think the first thing we should do is come up with a name for our band. Suggestions?"

Spoon started by asking hesitantly, "Um…how about the Terrific Trio?"

"I like the trio, but I think terrific just doesn't have enough…pop in it, per se. Anything else? I can't think of anything yet."

Ripe then said, vigorously, "Oh, how about the Tough Trio, Diamond?"

Finally, a light bulb flashed in my mind, and I shouted, "I've got it! The Talented Trio!"

Afterwards, Ripe and Spoon yelled, "Perfect!"

"Alright, then, that's our name! Let's bump for The Talented Trio!"

With that, we all pounded one of our hooves together, and after Ripe assured me that my idea for a name was better than his, (I looked a little guilty) we began practicing music.

In truth, we didn't really have a direction in terms of songs, but the two hours we spent practicing were really fun. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes. Soon after, the day ended.

The next day, I saw Ripe running towards me and Spoon, yelling, "Wait up! I've got big news!"

So, we stopped, and I asked, "What big news, Ripe?"

"Check it out! I've got a flyer for each of us."

"Did you read the flyer?"

"I was running a little late, so I didn't."

"Alright, then, I'll read it. Huh? Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor? What kinds of names are those? Wait one second, the flower mares…they're the CMC? _Really_? I can't believe this!"

"Diamond, let me look…crap! You're right."

"Oh, that tears it! I've finally been invited to a wedding, something I've wanted to see all of my life, and the CMC become the flower mares? I'm going to talk with them. I may have no interest in being a flower mare, but…if they became the flower mares _just_ to mock me, I'll _kill _them!"

With that I stomped to school with a familiar feeling of vengeance sweeping over my soul.

If their intent was to mock somepony, then they picked the _wrong_ mare to mock!

* * *

Oh, boy! Conflict is high once more! Again, I'm going to shift to a two day chapter plan just to make sure the chapters I put up are clear and well-written. Mark my words, I _will_ get this up to EQD eventually, but I'll have to do my very best! Anyway, please let me know if I about any improvements I can make, because believe me, feedback is such a great gift! Thank you for sticking with me for fifteen chapters!

Next Chapter: Diamond, in a state of vengeance, approaches the CMC, unaware whether or not they still hate her for all of the crap she put them through. Will this hate hinder the relationships between Diamond and the CMC, even going so far as to ruin the wedding for Diamond? And will Diamond be able to work with Rarity like Sweetie Belle said? Find out, next time!


	16. Diverge

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 16

Alright, let's skip right to the reviews, as there were a lot of them!

DisneyPrincess: The brony community is very, very talented, and this is only my first real story, so I can understand the critique. It still is rather detrimental to my mood, but I'll just let it push me even harder to get this, one of the first Diamond Tiara focused stories on EQD. As for the trio, I tried to make them like the CMC if they already had their cutie-marks, were rich, were not as impatient, and loved music, so I'm really glad you enjoyed that aspect! To add, for Granny Smith, her story was intended to drive some of the tensions between the Apple and Rich families away, and it did so very well. You might even say she resembles Stinkin' Rich to a little bit to Diamond! Finally, I want to emphasize how much your praise means to me. I can assure you that I will do my best to make sure my story gets on EQD, and I'm not going to give up! I've still got two more chances!

McPeach: Yes, RipeXDiamond is going to the primary pairing here. I originally intended for DiamondXSnails, but I just don't think that would legitimately happen in the show, and I want to keep this as close to canon as possible. Besides, I have another Snails pairing in mind! Again, there will be more fluff in the future, but I'll do my best to focus more on the plot (the story element) for this story. Thank you for your review!

Da Foose: A negative review, huh? That's fine, you have your opinion, and you're entitled to it, but I'd like to counter a few of your points. First off, I designed Diamond's character to avoid the snares of a Mary Sue. While she is beautiful, a business prodigy, and relatively smart, she does have many internal issues. She suffers from paranoia somewhat, she is impulsive, has a tendency to jump to conclusions, and she has a short fuse. To add, even though she puts her best effort in her academics, she does still get B's, and Silver Spoon is smarter than her. Does that sound like a Mary Sue to you? If you wish for me to develop one of these internal issues more, let me know. And about her changing her character, please, have a little more faith! I'm not going to chance her personality that much, but I do believe she can get past her bullying, superiority phase. Also, thank you for reminding me about Ripe Orange. His backstory will be covered in Chapter 17. Again, I'm sorry you didn't fully enjoy this story, but I thank you for voicing your opinion, because it does help me. Finally, if you don't want to continue reading this, that's fine. I won't be offended!

REDgirl: Well, I hope the new site goes along swimmingly! Thanks for being such a great fan!

Let's begin the sweet sixteenth chapter!

* * *

(Photo Frame's POV)

It seemed, even with the wedding event, Mrs. Tiara's life was beginning to guide itself back on the right track, and I was delighted to hear that. However, as Mrs. Tiara was about to continue, a loud knock resonated in my eardrum.

Mrs. Tiara yelled, "Who is it?"

The voice behind the door responded. "Diamond! I'm sorry I'm late, but the wheelchair was acting up. I've got lunch!"

"Spoon? I'll be right there!"

After Mrs. Tiara opened the door, I came face to face with her best friend, Silver Spoon. Not being one to doubt Mrs. Tiara's eloquent explanations, I painted a mental picture of Spoon on my cranial canvas, and it looked very similar to her real-life portrayal.

However, the most startling fact I gathered from her appearance was that…well…she was still in her wheelchair. She really was paralyzed, and I felt pain as if I were Diamond herself. But, despite all that happened in the past, Diamond still welcomed her friend with open arms and a big hug, which was returned in a matter of milliseconds.

Two best friends giving each other a hug even after almost one caused the death of the other? I knew the wounds weren't fresh, but it still really warmed my soul.

One last thing, Silver Spoon was very slim for being confined to a wheelchair for over a decade! She was about the size of an average pony, so that was also a relief.

Anyway, after a heartfelt greeting, Ms. Spoon pulled out a container, with a juicy, sliced soy steak inside, from inside her saddlebag and plopped it on the central table.

She smiled. "I just thought I'd bring a classic."

All of a sudden, she paused while pointing at me.

"Diamond, who's that?" she asked. Huh, looks like she just noticed me.

"Oh, he's a journalist! He's doing a documentary on my life! Isn't that awesome?"

Mrs. Tiara was also right about the sparkles that often appeared in Ms. Spoon's eyes, because they appeared again.

"Really? Wow, that's awesome! The journalists really know what they're doing, right Diamond?" she passionately yelled.

"Yeah, they totally do! They knew I was the mare who could shine in the spotlight the brightest!"

Suddenly, Ripe Orange chimed in. "Like a diamond, right? You always were a diamond in the rough!"

"Ah, Ripe, you know me so well!" she voiced. I had a feeling Mr. Orange liked to use that statement, so I made sure to record it. In fact, since Mrs. Tiara began her story, I haven't turned my camera off, because I've been taught a good journalist records everything.

Afterwards, Mrs. Tiara got up and returned with a fork for each of us. However...even though the three of them had brought their gloves and put them on, I wasn't even sure if I had hoof surgery!

So, I said, "I'm very sorry to inconvenience you, but I'm not sure if I received hoof surgery like you three. Could I borrow one of your gloves for the meal, please? I washed my hooves before I came here."

Ms. Spoon was the one that spoke up. "Sure! You can use one of mine!" she said, proceeding to generously give me one of her gloves.

I thanked her, and I discovered my hooves indeed fit inside the sections of the glove, so I was able to grasp the fork!

With that problem solved, we began consuming Ms. Spoon's steak. Well, she certainly knew how to cook, because it was juicy, as well as seasoned perfectly. I made sure to compliment Ms. Spoon on a wonderful meal, and I made sure to eat sparingly, because I was an unexpected guest!

Finally, with the meal consumed and our bellies full, I returned the glove to Ms. Spoon.

Immediately following that, Mrs. Tiara stretched, and paced around for a minute.

When she was finished, I asked, "Why did you begin pacing, Mrs. Tiara?"

"Oh, just a little habit of mine! Now, Ripe and Spoon, if you have anything you want to add to my story, please feel free to step in. Just let me know first. Alright, here we go!"

(Diamond Tiara's POV)

I never stopped to talk with neither Ripe nor Spoon, because the instant the news about the CMC being flower mares penetrated my eardrums, my thought process became consumed with acrimony. I needed answers, and even in my enraged state I knew they were the only mares to give me them.

As I saw them, I yelled, "Hey! What's your problem?"

Before I collided with them, Apple Bloom said, "Diamond Tiara? Why are ya so mad?" so I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Don't give me that nonsense! Look at this!" and with that, I revealed the wedding flyer.

"Huh? Oh! Are ya mad 'cause we're the flower mares?"

"It depends on your reason. You have ten seconds to explain why you three became flower mares…starting now!"

Sweetie Belle answered my question. "Oh! Well, according to the flyer we received, there were no flower mares, so we sent a letter to her saying we could do the job!"

"Wait…what? Then how come my flyer says that you already are the flower mares? Was that a prank to mock me?"

As I spoke, I could feel steam erupting from my forehead.

"No! Um…flyer was a bad word to describe it."

Scootaloo then broke in. "What are you, a dictionary?"

"Scootaloo, that joke was never funny! Anyway, according to Rarity, Twilight received a letter from the Princess asking all of her friends, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, as well as Twilight herself to participate in the wedding. When Rarity went to show the flyer to us, we realized there were no flower mares, so we decided to ask Rarity to tell Twilight to ask the Princess if we could fill in that position. As it turns out, she sent a letter back accepting all of our positions, and I believe the actual public fliers were supposed to come out…today, right?"

I was still skeptical. "Well…how come you were accepted as flower mares? It's a royal wedding. The job isn't given to just anypony."

"Like I said, no one else would do it, so we got the job! We didn't do it to make you feel bad, really. I'm sorry you thought that. Did you want to be the flower mare, Diamond Tiara?"

"Huh? No, not really. It seems too…dignity zapping for me. Well, you've calmed my fears. I can't wait for the wedding to begin!" and with that, I ran to school with the burden of my paranoia lifted from my back.

After a few days, the wedding day had arrived, and I made sure to wear my best dress. Afterwards, at around 8 AM, I entered the train to Canterlot with Ripe, with his guitar, and Spoon by my side. That train was flooded with ponies because there was no other transportation method! As I later found out, the invitation was public, and everypony in Ponyville was allowed to attend, but that didn't detract from my mood.

I always wanted to see an actual wedding, and I believe the primary reason for that was because of my bickering parents and the significance my family had on my life. Yet, in any manner, the train arrived at our destination, Canterlot, after a few hours.

This was the first time I had ever seen Canterlot, and it completely blew my expectations out of the water. I may have grown up in an opulent mansion, but that was a ramshackle compared to…this! Canterlot was an entire city with beautiful views, and marvelous works of architecture, highlighted by the most amazing building I've ever seen, Princess Celestia's castle. Right then, I made a vow that when I got married, my chapel would be in that very castle, and it only added to the perpetual list of motivations I had accumulated in my consciousness.

It was the first time I had ever been speechless, and my jaw literally dropped to the floor.

"How's it feel to be speechless, Diamond?" Spoon playfully asked when she saw my jaw, and it took a few minutes before I was even able to speak!

When my mouth was functioning once more, I said, "That…was…amazing! What an absolutely gorgeous city! I can't wait to actually see the inside of the castle! Just…wow!"

Ripe laughed. "Ah ha ha! I never thought I'd see the day when you would be speechless, but I can really understand why! This place is the definition of grand!"

With that, we entered the palace, with maps we received from a touring stand, and…dear sweet Celestia, I thought my mansion was impressive! The ceiling was about six times my height, and I was decently tall for a filly, and the glass paintings? Absolutely stunning in terms of detail and color! However, before we could get comfortable, we were approached by two royal guards.

They said, concurrently, "Halt! Even with invitations, you are not allowed to roam the castle!"

Considering I wasn't done praising the castle, I used my Diamond Eyes. "Please? This is our first time here, and we just want to praise the castle! Could we just have one more hour? We promise that's all we need!"

They worked like a charm! "Very well, but after one hour you must leave until the wedding begins!"

After thanking the guards, and having Spoon and Ripe thank me, we decided to split up and meet up in the main hallway, because we knew that there would be some guards there, and by the time we came back, we would be done.

(Modern time, Diamond's POV)

I don't know what Spoon or Ripe did in that span of time, so maybe they could explain.

"I'll start, Diamond!" Silver Spoon said.

(Back to the past, Spoon's POV)

Since I was a cook, I thought my first destination should be the kitchen. I used the elevator, since it was on the third floor on the map, and managed to steer my way to the kitchen with ease. The wheelchair I was in could turn on a dime, so I could tell Diamond's purchase of it was just another one of her plentiful business accomplishments. In any case, I found that the cooks only exited and through one door, and I didn't see anypony about to enter, so I peeped through the window on the entrance. I really wish I had brought a notepad, because the cooks were amazing! They had perfected techniques which I never thought existed, and I was transfixed by their sheer skill. They set the bar for cooks, and they set it high, but I had managed to memorize most of their techniques in the thirty minutes I spent watching them, so I was satisfied. I couldn't wait to practice their skills when I returned to Ponyville!

When I finished with the kitchen, unspotted because I was rather cautious, and my wheelchair was quick, I became rather curious about the Canterlot Orchestra. So, I made that my second destination. It was on the first floor, and since I did see guards in the main hallway, I had to utilize a detour to avoid them. When I arrived, I was able to hear their music immaculately, to my astonishment.

Classical was my favorite music genre by far, and their performance proved indubitably that my opinion held a copious amount of logic. The string instruments were perfectly in tune, and the piano blended in with the sound perfectly, creating a resonant, full sound, that was, quite literally, music to my ears. Incredible music at that! After they practiced five pieces of music, I forced myself to roll back to the main hallway. Their performance may have been magical, but I was sure I would hear them again during the wedding.

(Modern time, Photo Frame's POV)

"Well, I'm done! Do you want to tell your story, Ripe?" Ms. Spoon asked.

Mr. Orange cleared his throat, and then said, "Sure!"

(Back to the past, Ripe Orange's POV)

The first thing I wanted to do was to hear the Canterlot Band play a few tunes, and maybe get some sounds and techniques of awesomeness from the guitarist. The band practice room was on the second floor, and I decided to use the elevator like Silver Spoon did. However, we never ran into each other because I believe we used separate elevators, but either way, we entered and exited the elevators at different times.

As I was walking to the band room, I heard birds chirping, and they seemed to be performing some sort of melody, so I decided to observe and listen from a closer distance. The song was good, especially for only having birds singing. I also had to hand it to the yellow pegasus with the pink mane; she did a good job conducting the symphony of birds.

In any case, I listened to one song, and then continued trotting down the hallway until I reached my destination. The door wasn't much of a sound barrier, and it also had a window, so I was able to look at the guitarist.

First off, the music was absolutely phenomenal, as in, it was played perfectly. It really did seem as if Canterlot set a colossal bar for all of the ponies to leap for.

To add, the guitarist had a very intriguing playing technique. It seemed like he always swung his hoof like a pendulum, and changed his hoof speed based on the tempo or speed of the notes. I made sure to bury that mental note firmly in my consciousness, because I definitely wanted to remember it.

I think I should also explain the types of guitars. The one the guitarist was using was a four string guitar, which you could play with your hooves alone, but he did have the hoof surgery glove on, showing that he could play complex melodies. I had a six string guitar, which wasn't used by many guitarists back then, because you needed big hooves to play it effectively, but with hoof surgery present, they are really popular. To add, before hoof surgery, the guitar was only really good for simple background tunes, but it has evolved into one of the most diverse instruments in Equestria!

After about…I believe thirty minutes, I walked back to the elevator. However, as I passed the area where the pegasus was conducting, I heard someone yell. As I turned around, I saw an alicorn who had mane and body colors that were very similar to Diamond's, except her mane was straight as opposed to slightly curled. To add, she had a yellow necklace on her chest, there was an added purple stripe in her mane, and her eyes were also purple. Was that Princess Mi Amoiré Cadenza, the mare that was getting married? That was my instant assumption, and as the hour reached its completion, I rushed to tell Diamond about the "bride".

(Modern Time, Photo Frame's POV)

When Ripe finished, Diamond said, "Well, I guess I'll finish up!" and she began her tale.

(Back to the past, Diamond's POV)

As I separated from my friends, I realized that if I had to become Rarity's "apprentice" if it were, I had to meet her first. Based on the flyer, I assumed she would be in the dress making room, on the fourth floor, and since I feel like taking an elevator, I took the stairs. Because of that, getting to that room was a bit of a hassle on my poor hoofs, but it wasn't a huge deal. Unfortunately, right after I opened the door, I saw a pony that looked very similar to me if she was an adult, and three ponies escorting her. Since she didn't notice me, I waited until she was relatively far away from me before following her, because she was going to the same room I was.

When she arrived at the room, I still hadn't gotten caught yet, so I just crouched by the wall and looked in the room, pulling my head back occasionally to avoid confrontation.

However, before she even entered, a pony with a purple body and a dark blue mane with a hot pink stripe in the middle said, to Rarity, "Oh, you should have seen how she acted back there. I don't know when she changed, but she changed! 'Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.'"

Then, the pony who I had followed spoke. "Did I hear someone say my name?" Wait, what? _She_ was the bride? I wasn't expecting that, and now I'm even happier I didn't get caught!

Afterwards, Rarity used this time to kiss up to her, by saying, "Your highness! Let me just start by saying what an honor it is to play a role in such a momentous occasion!"

"Ah-ha. Is my dress ready?"

"Yes, of course. Um, I've been working on it ever since I was given the assignment, and I think you'll be pleased with the results! Mm hmm!"

When I saw the dress…I thought it really wasn't gaudy enough for the wedding, and the colors just…didn't fit, and the Princess agreed.

"I was hoping for something with more beading and a longer train."

"Oh, yes, of course!"

"And those should be a different color."

Afterwards, the bride maids also played the "suck-up" game, but for Rarity, claiming the dress was great.

But, the Princess just ignored them. "Make them a different color!" she concluded, and then walked out.

The purple pony, who I later found out was named Twilight Sparkle, said, "Gee, maybe her name should be "Princess Demandy-pants!"" obviously butt hurt by the bride's demands.

After Twilight left, Rarity was the only other pony in the room, so I figured now was the perfect time to introduce myself.

I walked up to Rarity. "Hello, I'm Diamond Tiara! You're Rarity, right? Sweetie Belle said you needed an assistant, and I'm the right filly for the job!" I claimed confidently.

"Ah, what a darling little dress! Did you design that?"

"I'm afraid not, but I did add the diamonds on it! Do you mind if I give you some pointers for the bride's dress?"

"Sure! Do you agree with her critique?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I feel like the dress should match the socks that she has, as in, the secondary color should be yellow. I also think the brooch should be accentuated. I think adding a few diamond crystals should help with the shine of it. It might also need to be extended a little more."

"Wow! Those are great tips, darling! Did you look up wedding dresses before you came here?"

"Yes, I did! I've always wanted to come to a wedding, and I've also always wanted to run my own business!"

"You know about business? That's wonderful! I don't know anything about business, so I just made Carousel Boutique a request store!"

"Well, I'll be more than happy to help you with business later! For now, let's concentrate on the dress!"

So, for about a half an hour, we worked on the dress. I applied the gems, and stitched a few of the hems together, and I can safely say the dress turned out perfectly due to our hard work. Admittedly, at first, Rarity was a little skeptical about my ability, but after I stitched the first helm and applied the first gem, she realized I had talent.

When we finished, Rarity said, "Darling, you are very talented at this! Is that your special talent?"

"I actually got my cutie-mark from constructing my tiara from scratch, in about one hour! Also, since my mom runs a beauty and clothes store, even though I…almost never see her, I still saw and picked up the premise on how to stich!"

"Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie about something like that? When you have talent, it's only natural to want to show it off!"

"I completely agree, darling! Well, I hope to see you soon!"

"Goodbye, Rarity! It was a pleasure meeting you!"

With that, I exited with my confidence reaching an all-time high. I took the elevator down and managed to reach the main hallway a little before Ripe and Spoon did. However, as soon as the guards saw all three of us as a group, they escorted us out of the palace.

After the three of us told each other about our experiences in the castle, we came to a conclusion on what Princess Mi Amoiré Cadenza looked like. Not too much happened, but I did get some more praise from my friends about my dress making ability, so that was always nice.

Anyway, about an hour later, the wedding finally began. However, before the bride even waltzed into the room, I heard a wonderful melody being played behind the doors, so I used a very old video recorder to pick the tune up. Maybe we could use it later in our band for one of our songs!

When the song was almost over, the Princess trotted along the red carpet with the CMC in front of them, performing admirably as the flower mares, and I recorded her singing these lyrics.

(From: This Day Aria)

_Finally the moment has arrived_

_For me, to be one lucky bride!_

I wasn't concentrating on the lyrics as much as her dress. It felt amazing to know that I, a twelve year old filly, had helped make a wedding dress for a royal wedding. That feeling was accentuated by my realization that even if the CMC became the flower mares to mock me, at least I contributed to the wedding in a manner that was far more important, even if no one else realized it besides me, Rarity, Ripe, and Spoon originally.

As the wedding began to reach the state of completion, I have to admit I did get a little teary-eyed during the vows…at first.

However, during the middle of the vows, Twilight and…another Princess Mi Amoiré Cadenza busted in? I had a terrible feeling about this.

After a confrontation, the Princess standing at the altar…began to transform. Yep, that's right; the Princess with actual attitude was a fake. Come on, really? I know Equestria is all about love but you can at least show a little personality! Did I also mention that the dress, which I had put so much work into, was vaporized when she transformed? That was probably the worst part of that transformation!

The fake Princess's real identity was the Queen of these heavily mutated bugs known as the Changelings. The Queen had a black body, a light blue mane, green eyes, and her legs were filled with perforations. Apparently, Changelings are shape shifters that feed off of love for other people and use that love as food. I really wish I was making this up.

Fortunately, after the Queen claimed that her subjects were going to tear open a pink bubble around Canterlot (which was supposed to be a protection spell) Princess Celestia was prepared to do battle with her.

Unfortunately…she lost, and literally fell unconscious when confronted with the Queen's magic.

When Celestia lost, Spoon, Ripe, and me screamed, "Ah, _crap!" _simultaneously. Canterlot was dead, and my fear was realized, not to mention the dress was destroyed!

* * *

Well, this certainly doesn't look good! Again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and more chapters should come very soon!

Next time: Diamond and crew attempt to run away from the threat of the Changelings. Also, Ripe Orange's backstory is finally revealed. Will they escape unharmed? What problems did Ripe Orange have to endure early on? Will Diamond and Rarity bond? And will Pip and Dinky finally freaking appear? Find out, next time!


	17. Progress

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 17

Hello, everypony! Let's get to the reviews!

DisneyPrincess: I honestly didn't feel like the whole ponies being vegetarians was a big deal, but since I've never seen meat in the cartoon, and since you've been such a great fan, I took the liberty of changing the steak to a soy steak, and will use soy products for meat in the future! I'm really glad you approved of my interpretation of the trio for "A Canterlot Wedding!" I thought it would be the perfect time to flush out each of their personalities, introduce Diamond to Rarity, and even put in a mention of my favorite song in the show, by _far_, This Day Aria, as well as introduce the Changelings. Chrysalis is my second-favorite antagonist as well! She would have been my favorite had she not suffered from arrogant-dumb villain syndrome. She literally blew her plan twice (revealing Cadence, not sending Cadence or the mane six to the "caves") and was used to _support_ Twilight's outburst before the wedding, which I thought was both OOC and downright cruel. This was the scene where the fake Cadence c_ried. _Also, I think you know who my favorite antagonist is. Here's a hint, she has a tiara! I also think you are going to love what I'm going to do this chapter! Thanks for being an awesome fan!

* * *

After Princess Celestia was defeated by the Changeling Queen, I yelled, "Spoon! Ripe! Let's get out of here, now!"

With that, Ripe and I galloped out of the castle, and Spoon used her autopilot to follow us. I forced myself to turn around several times, and every time, I saw my best friend with a warm smile plastered on her face. It was really heart-warming, even when most of my thoughts were plagued with panic.

But, when we finally escaped from the castle, a loud noise, similar to that of glass shattering, ruptured our eardrums.

"Damn!" I shouted, with knowledge that we were about to be attacked by those creepy bugs!

Fortunately, the mane six had the same idea as we did, so more changelings went in their direction, as opposed to ours. Even then, we were about to be barraged.

Those...things started by shooting green lasers from their mouths. Once I saw the lasers created this green ooze, I made sure to keep my distance from that…repulsive stuff. But, after we had almost made it out of the city, we were confronted by an army of them!

When I looked back at Spoon after coming face to face with these mutated abominations, her once tranquil smile transformed into an expression of pure fear.

"Wh…what…are…going…to…do? These things…they'll kill us!" she shouted, experiencing convulsions all the while.

Suddenly, a jolt of nostalgia coursed through my body, and I remembered the promise I had given to Spoon.

That promise was, "_I made a promise to myself that I'd protect you from any after effects that resulted from this terrible accident, and if somepony makes fun of you, they'll have to break me first before getting to you!"_

I didn't see anypony about to taunt Spoon, but I realized my promise extends far beyond mere insults.

With confidence and raw emotion in my eyes, I shouted, "Spoon…you're my best friend. I promised that I would protect you from insults…but now… I'm prepared to protect you from anypony or any changeling that wishes do to you harm! I'll make sure you leave Canterlot alive!"

With that, I leaped out to punch one of the changelings, but I will still able to look over my shoulder…at Spoon. She still had tears in her eyes, but her smile returned, even brighter than ever. From then on, I was willing to fight for that smile, both using words…and…my fists. I wasn't afraid anymore! I felt like I was able to break these chains of captivity that held me back! Good for my friends, but man, these Changelings were about to experience a world of hurt!

Before making contact with the first changeling, I screamed, "_Diamond Punch!" _and my first unlucky victim toppled to the ground…dead. I can't say it felt good to kill anyone, but I forced myself to do it…for Spoon's sake.

Ripe, who had witnessed all of this, was highly moved my speech. "Diamond…I made the same promise. Your friend is my friend!" he said, pulling out his guitar chip and slipping his glove on. "So let's rock and roll!"

With that, he played a chord, releasing a huge shockwave that knocked back all of the changelings within a yard radius of us, killing most of them!

But…the battle had just begun. As Ripe was astonished by his newfound power…the Changelings proved why they were called changelings.

In short, they replicated us!

And every single changeling accomplished this horrendous act of shape shifting!

When I thought we were about to be destroyed by…ourselves, since they had copied our abilities as well, the mare in the wheelchair announced that she had come up with a plan. Of course, we had to continue attacking them, and Ripe couldn't play any cords, because then we wouldn't hear her, but we were still able to hear every word she said.

"That's it! Guys, I've got a plan! The Changelings replicate both us and the objects we are touching! How else would Ripe's clones have his guitar? So, let me stay in my location and allow them to creep closer so that all of them can replicate me! There's a buckle on my wheelchair, so during the time they try to escape from it, Diamond, you need to run to where I'm sitting, and use your light technique to stun the changelings! Then, Ripe, please use your guitar shockwave to disperse all of them! That should give us enough time to escape from them!" Spoon said, explaining a plan so perfect, I wish I had thought of it!

There was one question that still resided in my mind, so I spilled it out.

"That's a brilliant plan, Spoon! But…how did you discover my light technique? I never told you about it…right?"

"Before I passed out, I saw a light coming from the forest, and I just knew you were the one who created it!"

I couldn't have been prouder of the fact that Spoon and I are best friends at that time, because that was her shining moment, and it was the first time I didn't care that I hadn't led the group.

"Awesome! That's just awesome, Spoon! Alright, let's carry out your plan! Are you ready?"

"You bet! Let's do this!" she yelled, as she buckled her seatbelt.

Sure enough, since we were able to run away from the changeling crowd, all of them closed in on Spoon, and as they inched closer and closer, my stomach contracted with every step. But, just like Spoon proclaimed, all of them eventually transformed into her, and got stuck in their wheel chairs. I quickly rushed to my best friend's side, and made my tiara emanate a brilliant light. I couldn't see Ripe due to the light, but I assume he simply closed his eyes, jumped, and played the same chord. The plan was a complete success, and we were finally able to escape Canterlot!

We were exhausted, because we had to sprint for about a minute before we felt like we had covered enough distance between us and the Changelings, but we had escaped nonetheless!

I was the first to speak. "We…did it! We…got away from Canterlot!" I yelled, enthralled by how well we worked together. We were the definition of a "team" and that fight only accentuated that fact.

"I can't believe Spoon came up with that plan so quickly!" Ripe stated, obviously astonished by Spoon's quick wit. I can't exactly blame him for that.

Silver Spoon began blushing. "Thanks, guys! I wanted to pay you back for protecting me, and I'm so happy I was able to do so! I'm proud to be a part of the Talented Trio!" she claimed passionately.

Ripe and I both responded, simultaneously, "So are we!"

Finally, I said, "Now, let's go home!" causing a cheer to escape from both of my best friends.

The road from Canterlot to Ponyville was pretty long, but there were enough food stands for us to return home energized and full.

However, before we separated, I felt the urge to ask Ripe Orange a question.

"Ripe, could you tell me a little more about your past?" I asked.

Ripe looked shocked. "Why do you want to know?" he asked, his voice tinged with hostility.

"I've experienced embarrassment and humiliation before you comforted me when I fell unconscious. I just want to get a perspective on who other ponies who grew up like me felt."

Ripe exhaled deeply. "Alright, but don't laugh if you see tears falling down my face. Spoon, do you want to hear my story as well?"

"Sure!" Spoon proclaimed.

Finally, I sealed the deal by saying, "We promise we won't laugh at you. We've probably experienced your pain in some way."

Ripe gave us a fantastic grin. "Thank you. I really do appreciate your friendship. Alright, I'll begin."

(Modern time: Photo Frame's POV)

When Mrs. Tiara I believed was about to tell what Mr. Orange said to her about his past, she abruptly looked at him.

She then said, "Ripe, do you want to tell your story? I feel like it will be easier, since I don't remember it as clearly as you do."

Mr. Orange exhaled. "Very well. I'll do the best I can!" he said, with more enthusiasm than he probably had when telling his tale to the teenage Mrs. Tiara.

(Back to the past: Ripe's POV)

Let's see, I was born around the time when Applejack attempted to live with us, and, like Diamond, I was pretty quiet as a baby. My family was…decently rich for a Manehattan family, so we were able to hire…I believe two footmen?

In any case, when Applejack left, according to information I was told later in my life, Granny Smith told Stinkin' Rich about the visit. Now, Stinkin' Rich, as Diamond said, was probably the best business pony I've ever heard of. But, in any case, soon after Granny Smith gave him the news, he walked straight over to our house.

I was still an infant, so I can't recall the conversation by Stinkin' Rich and my parents at all, and making words up will get me nowhere, but I do remember the agreement they had made.

I believe that agreement was that Barnyard Bargains will give 1/8ths of their products to us at discounted prices, as long as we paid those prices and cut off _all_ business ties with the Apple family. Stinkin' Rich was a wily one! But, in the end, we benefited enormously from that agreement because we were literally able to sell items for almost twice the price we bought them for! So, we made like a Rich and brought in the bits!

Now, my family did have a good deal of business experience prior to Stinkin' Rich's visit, so that only added to our success.

To add, there was this strange "no child" policy around Manehattan around the time I was born, and it still is popular today. As a result, more ponies who lived in the slums or run-down part of Manehattan, and there were a good deal of them, began producing most of the next generation of ponies. Oh, and my family was the richest family who didn't abide by the policy, not to mention there was only one school in Manehattan. I think you know where I'm going with this.

After a little under six years of being sheltered by my parents, who actually had more free time then you would initially believe I finally went to kindergarten.

I tried my best to be as friendly as possible…but it never really worked. I can still remember my first attempt at a conversation on my very first day of kindergarten.

I approached this colt in my grade with a cyan body and mane color and said, "Hello, I'm Ripe Orange! What's your name?"

"Go away!" he yelled before running away from me. Geez, I was just trying to be friendly!

Disappointed, I went into class with the goal to do the best that I could. And, as it turns out, I was pretty smart! I got straight A's for kindergarten, even though all of my attempts to converse with ponies were shut down, and I even heard a few murmurs of, "Show off!" whenever I got a teacher's question correct.

Eventually, my curiosity reached a boiling point, and when kindergarten ended, I asked my parents why nopony in school would become my friend.

My mother, known as Aunt Orange said, "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Of course I do, mom!"

Both of my parents sighed, and my father, known as Uncle Orange said, "Very well. We will tell you, but it might be painful. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Nope, I want to know why!"

"Very well, son. We have made a business agreement with the richest family in Ponyville, the Rich's, and the other pony you saw when you were very young was the great-grandfather of the Rich's. As a result, we have become even better off in those six years in terms of bits. There has also been less foals being produced by rich families like us, and you are really the only child in this type of family."

"Wait, what does that have to do with the treatment I received?"

My dad exhaled deeply. "Because you are the only pony attending the Manehattan School who is rich, others get angry because they don't have that wealth. So, they try to distance themselves from you, and make friends with ponies that are as well off as them."

I was astonished when I heard that. "What? But I'm nice to them! I really don't get why they think…I'm a monster...I just don't get it!"

"I don't understand it either, son. Something terrible has happened to this community. It seems to be divided into a group containing rich ponies, and a group containing all the others. It seems…like the other ponies believe we don't need anything because we are rich, but they don't understand our emotional needs. They think that when we get sad, our bits will make us feel better…but I think…that is not really the case."

At this point, tears began to form in my cerulean eyes, giving them the appearance of the salty ocean. "You're right, father. But…I'm not giving up yet!"

"Son, I understand. But…please do not expect much."

"I won't! Thanks for the information!" and with that, I turned and finished the rest of my summer.

But…when I came back, it was even worse.

Apparently, first grade is the time where colts discover "playful" insults that only serve to cause a broken heart.

I'll give you an example. Towards the end of my first semester in first grade, some random pony came up to me and said, "Hey, you spoiled brat! Stop making us look stupid in class!"

Frightened, I said, "How did I do that?"

Suddenly, he pushed me down to the sidewalk, "You know how you did it! I don't want it to happen ever again, you got that?"

At that point I became traumatized. My back had a huge scar in it, and the only thing that came out of my mouth was, "Fine! Leave me alone! I won't come back here, OK?"

"Good. I don't want to see a rich pony come around these parts ever again!" and he subsequently spit on me and left.

I had a cell phone, so I called my parents and asked them to pick me up, because the pain in my back was brutal.

When I got home, after having my scar cleaned, I went to my room, grabbed a pillow, and began sobbing into it. I believe I did this for about five hours, and the only reason I stopped was because I heard my mom's voice.

I heard her say, "Ripe, I'm really, really sorry. I do not know what has happened to this beautiful city."

"Why do they have to be so mean? I just don't get it!"

"Ripe…would you like to listen to some music?"

All of a sudden, I lashed out. "First off, you didn't answer my question! Second off, how in my unclean hooves is that going to help…ah!"

Yep, my back began acting up again. "Ripe! Please relax! As for your question…I wish I could answer it. I really do. But…it really has gotten to the point of…I do not even know. Here, why don't you listen to your iHoof?"

An iHoof is a music playing devise, and my mom placed the earplugs on, then subsequently went to get more cleaning chemicals for my back.

I went to the music selection screen, and put on Eric Clopton's music. It was really refreshing as well as relaxing to have those beats applied to my eardrums…and surprisingly, I felt much better after just one song! However, I was still in no condition to go to school.

After about five minutes elapsed, my mother came back with the chemicals, and gently applied them to my scar.

When she was about to leave, I said, "Thank you for your suggestion, mom!" and she simply nodded at me and left me to the world of music.

After about a week of recovery, I told my parents exactly what had happened, so like any good parent would, they called the school and reported the incident to the principal.

The day after their report, the principal told them the colt would get suspended, and hopefully, his parents would force him to give me an apology.

After about a week, I felt well enough to return to school, but halfway through the next week that colt returned with his friends.

The colt started by saying, "Why did you have to do that to me, you little brat?"

"What did I do to you this time?"

"Stop trying to make yourself sound innocent, you brat! You got me suspended!"

"My _parents_ called the principal! It wasn't even my idea! Did your parents tell you I was the one responsible?"

"Yes, they did!"

All of a sudden, I felt a surge build up inside of me, pushing me to tell him what I thought of his actions.

"You know what? I don't think you or your parents understand anything about me or my family. I bet you think that just because I live in a nicer place, that automatically means I don't need friends, right? It means you can push me around and I'll just buy something to make me feel better, right? No, it _doesn't!_ It simply means that I'm a pony just like you who just happens to have a nicer house or more bits. That means nothing here! I don't care if nopony will understand me fully, but if you are going to hate me just because I have more bits than you; that's not a good reason!" I shouted, startling all of the colts who confronted me.

"Oh, look, the brat is asking to get pummeled! Let's teach him a lesson, colts!"

But, this time, before they could attack me, my teacher blew her whistle.

She said, "Alright, all of you! Go to the principal's office right now and pray to Celestia he is in a good mood!"

Even though the colts tried to counter, they eventually complied, yelling, "Next time, you're dead! I'll squash you into orange juice!" as they left.

Then, the teacher turned to me, saying, "You did a great job standing up for yourself. Don't worry, they won't be bothering you anymore, and hopefully the behavior in this school will change."

With sparkles in my eyes, I gave my teacher a big hug.

"Thank you so much!" I yelled, almost in tears.

I told my parents about my accomplishment, and they couldn't have been prouder for me. Afterwards, there were no real bulling incidents in my life, but everypony still kept their distance. I really didn't mind too much, but I still felt lonely without much happening in my personal life. Also, the reason why I don't remember any names is because I've tried my best to completely erase any memories I've had about Manhattan School except for one, which I'll explain later.

After I passed first grade, acing every class, I finally managed to discover a personal ambition during the first semester of second grade.

I was listening to Eric Clopton, when I guitars suddenly piqued my curiosity. So, I decided to go on the Ponynet to satisfy my hunger.

What I found was the difference between four and six string guitars, how popular four-string guitars were back then, and I also discovered hoof surgery. To add, Manehattan followed Ponyville's policies, as in they had one school as well as one hospital.

Anyway, I asked for my parents took me to the hospital, they complied, and I got the surgery without any problems.

At this point, I browsed the web for guitars, and the one that caught my eye was a vintage six-stringed Stratocaster, which was pretty expensive. However, since I almost never asked for anything from my parents, they let me purchase it when I asked them about it.

It came about one week later, with a high-quality amp that even had sound control, a guitar chip, and a red strap that I eventually attached to it. Afterwards, you could say that the guitar became like my best friend. I always played a few tunes when I got home, and my skill improved dramatically over second grade.

Now, about this event that I remember, it started as a simple talent show during the first semester of third grade. Considering I hadn't taken guitar lessons and trained myself based on videos, I thought it wouldn't draw too much attention if I participated. That…was a pretty faulty assumption!

When the talent show day arrived, like Ponyville's talent show, the acts were abysmal, so I felt no pressure going up on stage. I did sign up last just in case I actually did perform exceptionally, and I'm sure glad I did!

When I got on stage, I made sure to set my iHoof so that it would start playing the song, Layla, by my favorite guitarist, Eric Clopton about thirty seconds after I configured it.

Admittedly, I started playing the chords a little late, but since I had learned this song for a little under a year, I had memorized all of them, and gave an almost flawless performance! I was just as shocked as you'd think I was!

To add to my amazement, the crowd, composed of almost no upper class ponies, began applauding like crazy! Still, panic consumed me, and I felt the need to grab my iHoof and run off of the stage.

However, as I was about to escape through the side door, I felt somepony lightly punch me. I turned around, and breathed a _huge_ sigh of relief when I figured out it wasn't a colt my age.

No, instead, I came face to face with a pony that had a wild red mane, a brown body, and pretty darn cool black shades.

He said, "Your performance was very good. There really aren't enough guitarists in Equestria that actually show some promise. What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Ripe Orange, sir. What's your name?"

"I'm Wild Riff, kid!" he said, extending his hoof.

I gave him a hoofshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Are you a guitar teacher? If so, I'd love to take lessons! My family has the bits!"

"Heh, you're a mind reader, kid. However, my music room is in Ponyville. Would that be alright?"

"Is it far in? I don't live too far in Manehattan, so I could probably get to Ponyville in about one hour."

"Yeah, my room's pretty close to the Manehattan-Ponyville border, so that sounds great. Here's my e-mail address. Take care, kid!" and with that, he gave me a piece of paper with his name, phone number, and e-mail number, all neatly typed. I couldn't wait to take guitar lessons!

But, by far the most surprising part is that when I got home…my cutie-mark had appeared, as a guitar similar to my Stratocaster! I never really gave much thought into acquiring my cutie-mark, but I was still glad it appeared!

Anyway, I used my cutie-mark to persuade my parents to allow me to take guitar lessons, and they obliged.

Unfortunately, I had to wait until summer to begin taking lessons, but on the bright side, no one insulted me based on my talent-show performance! Third grade went by quickly, and when summer finally arrived, I was pumped!

Sure enough, the walk from my house to the studio did take about an hour, but I did work out pretty often, so it didn't take a toll on my hooves.

When I arrived, Wild Riff was there, with his shades. In fact, most of the music teachers at this music studio had sunglasses, and I think the reason for that was because the studio had this uncanny brightness to it.

In any case, I arrived, and Riff quickly discovered my hooves were moving at a blinding pace, so I could play songs that were meant to be played on piano! Riff was very impressed, and gave me some useful pointers on my technique. Sure, I wasn't able to master the pendulum movement until I went to Canterlot Castle because Riff didn't get hoof surgery, but Riff's lessons were amazingly helpful!

I also believe I heard Diamond playing the saxophone through the walls a few times even though I never saw her or went to any recital, because I did discover later on that we did go to the same music studio.

Anyway, with the guitar, I was able to compensate from the loneliness I experienced from not having any friends up until fifth grade, and towards the middle of fifth grade, that fateful call occurred, and the rest is history!

(Modern time, Photo Frame's POV)

"So, there you go! That's my past, and my loneliness was quickly eliminated thanks to the most beautiful mare in Equestria!" Mr. Orange concluded.

"Aww, Ripe! You aren't referring to lil' ol' me, are ya?" Diamond cooed, finishing by winking at Ripe Orange.

Afterwards, Ms. Spoon chimed in, "I think he is, Diamond!"

"Of course I am! Who else would I be referring to, the queen of the changelings?" Ripe responded compassionately.

Then, Diamond laughed soulfully. "Ripe, you're awesome!" she cooed.

Ripe then gave a very heartfelt smile. "So are you, Diamond!" and with that statement, the couple snuggled, together, proud with their progress, and the progress of the mare in the wheelchair. Those feelings were ones that I could tell were prominent even back then.

* * *

So much _D'aww!_ Well, I hope you enjoyed this…decently fluffy chapter, and there will be more to come!

Next Chapter: Shifting back into the past, we find how Diamond Tiara reacted to Ripe's speech in the past. Will she take it well? Will Diamond and Rarity bond more? Will there be more songs? And will Pip and Dinky finally appear for the second time? Find out, next time!


	18. A Perfect Show

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 18

Happy Memorial Day, everypony! I am very sorry I haven't updated this story sooner, but last week was one of the busiest I've ever had in my life! So, as a result, I haven't been able to focus on this story, and even today will be decently busy. But, I feel like I owe it to my fans to finally update this story, so here we go!

Diamondgirl203: First off, I would like to sincerely apologize for not addressing your review earlier. Second, thank you very much for your encouragement! I'm really glad you are one of the few fans of Diamond Tiara, and just know that you are not alone. I am a person who follows the motto of love and tolerance, and I really see a light in Diamond Tiara, so I'm hoping I can spread that light to the entire community! Your support really means a lot to me, because the greatest gift to an author is a fan!

DisneyPrincess: I'm so glad you enjoyed the fight scene! I hope the way Spoon, Diamond, and Ripe complement each other became clear in that scene, so that you can tell they are a team! I'm also glad you enjoyed Ripe's backstory! From some comments on FimFiction (where I have the updated story) I thought it would be a good idea to give him a backstory, to tie up the loose ends between the relationships of the Apple, Rich, and Orange families. The backstory would also serve to develop his personality, which I can tell went pretty well for you! Again, your support means more to be than I can express using the handicap of words, so please, keep reading!

Let's do this!

* * *

(Photo Frame's POV)

After about thirty seconds of Mr. Orange and Mrs. Tiara snuggling, I decided to speak up, fearing that distractions would prevent me from completing her documentary in one day.

"Mrs. Tiara? I'm sorry, but could you please continue your story?" I queried softly.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Tiara's cheeks turned scarlet the instant I finished. "Oh…right! You didn't see that, OK? Let's continue!" she stated frantically.

(Diamond's POV)

A…anyway, phew! Anyway, my initial reaction to Ripe's speech wasn't that…profound.

"Well! I guess I wasn't the only one who went through a lot of pain because of my stature. Thank you for telling me that. I'm sure that relieved some tension for us both." I stated sincerely.

"No problem! I don't feel like my past should be much of a problem for me in Ponyville. Everypony is much nicer here." Ripe replied with a warm smile.

I sighed. "Yeah..."

Ripe's face began to contract. "Hey, are you alright, Diamond?"

"I just feel like…I've been robbed of a normal life because of my parents."

"Would you like to tell us why, Diamond?" I gasped, but Ripe and Spoon gave me reassuring grins. "We promise we won't laugh or tell anypony, right?"

"Of course not, Diamond! We're your friends!" Spoon claimed, making my soul resonate with heat.

"Well…I just feel like since my mom always thought I was useless, and is now in a mental hospital…I wasn't what I used to be. Heck, even Ripe had loving parents, so he never changed. I'm the only one. I'm…not normal."

All of a sudden, the same spark that ignited when Ripe gave me a pep talk was set off again.

"No, normal ponies aren't special! Even though I'm not normal, I'm definitely special! That's what I am, and I'm proud of it!" I shouted, rising my hoof in the air.

Ripe and Spoon simply watched me, transfixed. They were clearly admiring my confidence, and I don't blame them. At that point, I could face my fears with fire in my eyes, and I vowed to do so for the rest of my life.

Concurrently, a cacophonous boom sounded to my east, and when we all looked up, the changelings were flying over our heads, defeated.

Spoon and Ripe rejoiced, and I said, "Well, they did it. No surprise there, but I'm glad we bailed before it got ugly."

"Yeah, it would have sucked trying to fight them off for that long!" Ripe shouted.

"It's a good thing we escaped when we did!" Spoon chirped, clearly enthralled those things were gone. I don't blame her, because they were pretty darn revolting!

"Yeah! Well, it's around 6 PM, so how about we just head back home, enjoy our weekend, and talk with each other in two days!" I suggested, and they nodded.

Subsequently, we delivered a hoofbump, and we were about to leave…before we got interrupted.

"Hey! Diamond Tiara! I've got a hoof to pick with you!" a voice screamed. Wait…was that Dinky?

It certainly was. And she was extremely mad, even having smoke puff out of her nostrils.

Pipsqueak, who was with Dinky, said, "Dinky, please calm down! I know Diamond isn't the nicest pony around, but there's no need for conflict!" obviously trying to calm her down, but it failed miserably.

By this, I meant that Dinky _used her magic to throw Pipsqueak out of the way!_ Yep, I was in a pretty bad pickle.

I tried to keep my taunting to a minimum towards unicorns for this very reason, because if they knew magic, they would toss me around like a ragdoll. In fact, I never actually taunted Dinky about Derpy, so it seemed like she was in some sort of rampage.

Even then, I didn't budge as she trotted towards me with the intent to harm.

"Apologize to me for insulting my mother, or I'll do to you what I did to Pipsqueak!" Dinky demanded, with her horn emitting a bright light.

"I never insulted Derpy, Dinky." I stated, maintaining my composure.

I saw a few tears accumulate in Dinky's eyes. "Lies! I heard you insult her! Nopony insults my mother! She's the best pony in Ponyville!"

I sighed deeply. "Do you really want to know what I think about Derpy, Dinky?"

"Tell me, now!"

I cleared my throat. "While I do admit she is somewhat slower than most ponies, her klutzy antics are surprisingly endearing, and make her unique. To add, when I did try to imitate her, she actually complimented me. She is very kind, and isn't afraid to lose a little dignity, which I respect, and especially respect ponies who compliment me, obviously! So…yeah."

This only served to make Dinky angrier. "You imitated my mother? So you _did_ insult her! I'm going to make you regret that, you bully!"

The light from her horn intensified, and I was soon thrust upwards and tossed towards a tree in the Everfree Forest! Dinky's magic was much stronger than I anticipated, so I was flying very quickly, knocking the wind right out of me. Fortunately, when the eventual collision occurred, I knew to "buck" the tree by extending my rear hooves, which were stronger than my front hooves, to absorb most of the collision's aftermath.

Still, even after I landed safely on my flank with no major external damage, I was exhausted. I took about two minutes to catch my breath, and I would have taken more, had Dinky not rushed up to me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm…sorry…Diamond Tiara!" she barely choked out, while hugging me.

Apparently, she thought that I would forgive her easily after almost making me faint from exhaustion, and ruining a sentimental goodbye with my friends. Boy, was she mistaken!

Within five seconds of Dinky latching onto me, I screamed, "Get _off_ me!" and backhoofed Dinky with my front arm.

I hit her pretty hard, but I made sure not to use my filed front hoof, because she probably would have died if I did so with that amount of force.

Admittedly, I did feel a little guilty about hitting Dinky, but I was too angry to care about that sentiment once I had done the deed.

When I found Dinky, lying in the fields by the forest with a black and blue spot on her cheek, I heard her murmur, "I'm sorry…please…forgive…me."

"Get up." I demanded.

"Wh…what?"

"You heard me. Get up, and I'll forgive you."

She winced. "The pain…it's too much!"

"I disagree. If you get up, you'll earn my respect, and I'll forgive you. If you don't, I'll just leave. I'm sure there is someone else who can help you."

Honestly, I think I demanded that because from the wedding and my perception of Ponyville society, the ponies were used to everything being nice, and often did not respond well to adversity. I think I wanted to see if my age group responded to adversity better than the full-grown ponies, because maybe then, Equestria would be better suited to catastrophes like the rise of Discord when we aged.

Anyway, I could tell Dinky was in some relatively severe pain, but she managed to slowly rise, and after about a minute, she was on all four hooves. Sure enough, I clopped slowly for her, before Pipsqueak interrupted the moment by giving Dinky a big hug.

"What do you think of that, Diamond Tiara?" Dinky asked, with pride in her voice.

"Not bad, I could tell that wasn't easy. I could definitely stand up quicker, but that wasn't too bad. I will admit that." I said, and then I turned around and walked home. Phew, what a day!

The next day, a Monday, we didn't have school due to the Royal Wedding receiving a makeshift holiday. I checked to see if Rarity was in her boutique, but unfortunately, she wasn't. I assumed that she still had her job at the wedding, and since I didn't feel like walking all the way to Canterlot, I decided to call Ripe and Spoon, and invite them over. To add, all of the trains to Canterlot were still closed due to the Changeling attack, so that also wasn't an option.

Not much actually happened during our meeting, to my surprise, but it was great to hang out with my best friends at my mansion for a day. I'd say it was an overall boost for our friendship.

The following day started out like a traditional school day, but Cheerilee actually talked about the wedding towards the end of the day, considering we didn't have many lessons.

I think I should take this time to mention that saddlebags in Ponyville are brought to school, and every day, the students take out their school books when class begins. The reason why I sometimes do not bring my saddlebag with me is because, when I get lazy, I leave my bag in the classroom. I once forgot my saddlebag, but when I rushed to get it only to find that the school doors were locked, my fears were nullified, and I found it the following day. In fact, I only really bring my saddlebag home when I need to do textbook work or when I need to use my gloves for music, because I do put them in my bag.

"Alright, class! Now, I'm sure all of you saw yesterday's Royal Wedding in some way, so how about we share our experiences about it?" she asked.

Subsequently, a frantic Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo raised their hoofs in the air as if they just burned them, and I just decided to let them speak first. My story was better, anyway.

"Yes, Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Cheerilee asked.

"We were the flower mares! We got to drop petals on the red carpet and jump around as the bride came in! It was awesome!" the CMC shouted concurrently. When they finished, I raised my hoof.

"That's wonderful, Cutie Mark Crusaders! Diamond Tiara, would you like to tell your story?"

"With pleasure, Miss Cheerilee! I, Ripe, and Spoon trotted into the castle, and we eventually split up! I wanted to meet Rarity, and I knew she was the dress designer, so I sneaked my way into that room, and introduced myself! After showing I could design dresses as well, I created most of the dress the…fake bride wore, including attaching all of the jewels, since jewelry making is my very special talent! It is really a shame it got destroyed, but I know that next time, it _will_ go better!" I chirped, slamming my hoof on my desk during the final sentence to accentuate my goal. Most of the class clopped in response to my epic tale.

"Very nice, Diamond Tiara! Would anypony else like to tell a story?"

Only Silver Spoon and Ripe Orange told their stories, and the rest of the class, probably scared out of their hoofs, said nothing. Class was dismissed after Ripe detailed his tale when Spoon was done.

I wanted to meet with Rarity that day, so I said, "Great job, Talented Trio! I'd like to meet with Rarity, so let's end today with a bump!"

So, we bumped, and I traveled the decently short route to Carousel Boutique. It wasn't as aesthetic as I imagined, but it was quaint so you never felt hostile upon entering it.

In any case, I knocked on the door three times, and Rarity, the chalk-white unicorn with a very curly purple mane and blue eyes, very similar to mine, answered.

"Darling! How are you?" she asked.

"I'm great, Rarity! Need any help with your dresses?"

Rarity scratched her chin with her front-left hoof. "Well, there are a few orders that I just can't get the right…feel for. Please, follow me and I'll display them for you."

I nodded. "Sounds great! Is Sweetie Belle here? She's the one who came up with the idea of me assisting you."

Rarity sighed. "What a darling! She told me that she would be in Twilight's library today, so she should not be here for a while."

"Well, I'm ready when you are!" I put my front hooves together. "Let's get started!"

Rarity led me to her primary room, where the stitching machine and the clothes were located. The clothes were unique, each with vivid colors, and I even saw a few crazy peacock hats to complete the look. On the whole, my mother's beauty shop was more impressive, but also more expensive than Carousel Boutique, so I had to admire how Rarity decorated the spacious rooms!

When we arrived, I was the first to speak.

"This place looks great, Rarity! Alright, where are those dresses?" I asked, eager to begin.

"Thank you, darling! They are right here!" she said, pointing to a series of incomplete dresses on stands.

I walked over to them. "Hmm…do you have the customer's cards, Rarity?"

"I most certainly do! Here they are!" she said, giving the cards to me.

With the specific information locked into my mind, along with my observations of my mother's beauty store, I established a plan of action.

"Alright, here's what I think we should do. The white dress is begging for a chest diamond, and perhaps a few smaller diamonds along the hem. The hem should also be medium in length, according to the card. The yellow dress looks very similar to Cadence's, so I propose we almost duplicate the actions we took towards Cadence's dress for that one. The green dress…looks sort of like a garden, so I think some emeralds will add to the look on the hem…and maybe one on the neck. Finally, the pink dress looks dark enough in shade to be complimented by some rubies on the chest and the hem. Does that sound good, Rarity?"

Rarity audibly gasped, and I believe she had her mouth agape during my explanation. "That…sounds wonderful, darling! Oh, I can't wait to see how sophisticated and beautiful these will turn out! I'll attempt to resist the urge to wear them myself!" Subsequently, she jumped repeatedly from sheer excitement.

"Glad you like my plan, Rarity! I'll attach most of the jewels, and I'm sure we can knock out all of these dresses by tonight if all goes well!" I shouted, deeply yearning to begin.

So, we started finishing up the four dresses. It was pathetically simple to attach the jewelry to the dresses, and I eventually began stitching the yellow dress, feeling the urge to make up from my previous creation dissipating into thin air. Sure enough, after a few hours, we were finished, and we couldn't be happier. After a quick hoofshake, and a re-telling of what I did when the changelings attacked us, Rarity and I had to part ways.

My final words to her, on that day were, "Rarity, I think you're starting to become my role model!"

Looking back, I really did mean what I said. Finally, before I ended that day, I hoped that I would soon finally be able to show my school my special, unique; cutie-mark acquired talent. Once they saw it, they would _know_ I was the most special pony.

With a hectic year reaching its conclusion, there weren't many noteworthy events between me and elementary school graduation. And, sure enough, I aced my classes for both semesters of sixth grade, and I finally started to understand who I was as a pony.

Speaking of which, since Silver Spoon became comatose during the talent show, and the recital during the summer failed to quench my thirst for the spotlight, I felt obligated to get on stage. And I knew exactly how I was going to do it.

During the middle of the summer, I rang up Spoon and Ripe, asking them to meet me at the school band room. So, they did, and I explained exactly what I wanted to do this summer with our band.

"Alright, Ripe and Spoon. I missed the talent show last year, and now I have a desire to perform on stage that cannot be quelled. I'd like to distribute flyers to the mailboxes of all of the ponies in our school, inviting them to watch us in the school auditorium. I've already made the flyer, and I already have an idea for the song, as well as most of the lyrics. But, if you have any suggestions, please pitch in!" I stated.

Ripe Orange was the first to speak. "Uh…Diamond? Do you have any idea when this event will be?"

"Whenever we are ready."

Ripe nodded. "Alright, how about we perform Highway to the Danger Zone?"

"I'd rather not. How about we perform Domino?"

Spoon and Ripe both questioned what song I was talking about, so I played it thanks to my iHoof. Ripe seemed to be pleased that it had guitar in it, and Spoon also could hear sounds that she could play using an adjusted keyboard. Adding that to my desire to sing it and you get three happy friends!

We practiced, and about a half a month later, we were ready to perform. We sent the flyers five days in advance, and as the performance day crept closer, I could tell it was getting pretty popular from the amount of my classmates that had the flyers.

Finally, performance day had arrived. Ripe had finished tuning his guitar, and I gave Spoon a pep talk. The two main points I focused on were, "If somepony mocks you for your wheelchair, I'll teach them a lesson!" and "Don't worry, you know this music by heart, so just take some deep breaths, and you will knock this out of the park!" It seemed to do its job, as I saw Spoon wheeling up to her keyboard with those awesome sparkles nestled in her eyes.

Ripe and Spoon made it to their instruments, and that was the key for me to clear my throat and begin the concert!

"Good evening, Ponyville! Are you ready for some music?" I yelled, and received a nice applause. "Well, alright! This is a version of Domino with some of the instruments in the song replaced with ours, along with different lyrics, so please, enjoy it!"

With that, a cacophonous applause sounded in my eardrums, and I gave Ripe and Spoon the count to begin playing, as soon as the pause counter for my iHoof ran out. Here we go!

(Re-mastered version of Domino, by Jessie J)

_I'm ready, can't you see?_

_For light to shine down on me_

_I've got a beautiful flow_

_And I'm just about to explode_

_So come and feel these beats_

_Push like a Sonic Rainboom in the air_

_Now you're reeling_

_Not believing the all that magic in there_

_Don't you know?_

_You're spinning out of control!_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_We're doing this all night_

_Soon we're gonna take flight_

_Come fly with us_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_Sound waves like a bass drum_

_When we create a rhythm_

_Can't you feel it?_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_We will rock until the sunlight_

_Take in the best night you'll ever know!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_Every second is a highlight_

_We won't stop so we will always go!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_We've got you losing your minds_

_We'll take you up so high!_

_We'll help you touch the stars_

_With one riff of a guitar!_

_So come on, feel these beats_

_Push like a Sonic Rainboom in the air_

_Now you're reeling_

_Not believing the all that magic in there_

_Don't you know?_

_You're spinning out of control!_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_We're doing this all night_

_Soon we're gonna take flight_

_Come fly with us_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_Sound waves like a bass drum_

_When we create a rhythm_

_Can't you feel it?_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_We will rock until the sunlight_

_Take in the best night you'll ever know!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_Every second is a highlight_

_We won't stop so we will always go!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_We're gonna gonna make you feel so right_

_When we when we make music in the moonlight_

_We're gonna gonna make you feel so right_

_When we when we make music in the moonlight_

_We're gonna gonna make you feel so right_

_When we when we make music in the moonlight_

_We're gonna gonna make you feel so right_

_When we when we_

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh!_

_We will rock until the sunlight_

_Take in the best night you'll ever know!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_Every second is a highlight_

_We won't stop so we will always go!_

_Making music in the moonlight_

_Yes, this is going to be a perfect show!_

_Yeah!_

Wow. That _was _a perfect show! I didn't hear one mistake from Ripe or Spoon, and I _nailed_ all of the notes! Needless to say, we got an incredible applause and we even got a few standing ovations! After conducting the normal drama bowing procedures and thanking the audience, we all left.

If you took the excitement of all of us, turned it into weight and placed it on a weight device that could withstand the biggest dragon in Equestria, it would break. Our excitement was at an all-time high, and you could tell just from our faces that we all enjoyed the performance, and longed to do it again with all of our soul.

I guess a perfect show really does improve confidence!

* * *

There we go! Finally, I've created another chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, but finals are approaching and I decided to be lazy and slack just a tiny bit in my projects, so they all caught up to me and killed me. Really, towards the middle of the week, I spent six hours on an English project in _one night!_ Ugh, high school sucks! But, ranting aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I promise you the next one will be out quicker!

Next Chapter: With their confidence at an all-time high, Diamond and her friends come face to face with middle school! Events transpire that may lead to major changes in the relationship between Diamond, her friends and the CMC. What are they? Will Rarity continue to inspire Diamond Tiara? And will Diamond continue to loosen up? Find out, next time!


	19. Author's Note

A Diamond in the Rough: Author's Note

* * *

Hey guys. I would like to apologize for the sudden gaps in my chapters, and I would like to explain why that is. First off, I've been preparing for finals during the last two weeks, which has NOT been fun, mind you. Also, sometimes I get on Skype and actually edit the fan fiction of someone else, so that hasn't been helping. Finally, I believe I am experiencing slight writer's block, but this is primarily due to finals. I should have new ideas pretty soon. I should have at least one chapter out by this Sunday, because school ends for me tomorrow. I would also like to thank everyone who has followed, commented, and liked this story, and every bit of feedback helps. All of you are awesome fans, and you are the ones that help me write. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and know that new chapters should be coming soon!


	20. Devotion

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 19

Hello, everypony! Finally, summer is here, and I couldn't be happier, considering finals _sucked!_ Again, I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates, but another chapter is coming your way! Also, in this chapter, I introduce an even _bigger_ douchebag than Diamond's mom. Who is he? You've got to read to find out!

DisneyPrincess: The fight scenes are designed for conflict, but I will use differing forms of conflict in this particular chapter. Also, I'm glad you enjoyed Diamond's elementary school tenure, and I hope you'll enjoy middle school as well. Thanks for being a great fan!

redgirl2723: Interesting idea! Again, I can't wait to read your fan fiction, because you have a lot of great ideas. Who knows how they are going to be used? Anyway, thanks for reading, and being a great fan!

Here we go! Time for the nineteenth chapter!

* * *

After our awesome performance, the rest of the summer seemed to go by rather quickly. However, considering our confidence was at such a precipice, we failed to notice we were entering a new type of school until our first day of seventh grade.

At first, the differences between elementary and middle school appeared to be limited to a larger building and more students and teachers attending. However, I soon realized that the difficulty of the work dramatically accelerated, causing me to actually worry about getting a few B's in the first quarter!

Unfortunately, that wasn't even the worst part. My solitary teacher, Mr. Bags, a tall pony with a brown coat, a black mane as a mullet, and cold black eyes, was horrific at conveying the material to us. Even worst, towards the middle of the first quarter, he accomplished something that made me want to strangle him.

During one of the history classes, which contained Ripe, Spoon, and the CMC, he was about to give a lecture. However, this lecture covered Granny Smith's discovery of the Zap Apples, so I was ecstatic to hear my family was about to receive the praise they deserved. Boy, what was I thinking?

Let me repeat exactly what he said, which was, "Now, class, I'm going to give you a lecture on how Ponyville was created."

At this, I took out my notebook eagerly, and he continued. "There were three rogue travelers of the Apple family, two parents, and a daughter named Granny Smith. When they settled at the edge of the Everfree Forest, Granny Smith traveled to the Everfree Forest, and learned the exact way you harvest Zap Apples. Now, once she managed to accomplish this feat, she created Zap Apple jam, which she sold to all of the citizens of Ponyville, creating cash circulation, and eventually creating the bustling city we live in today."

I couldn't believe my ears. I could somewhat understand Granny Smith's tale, because at least she _mentioned_ my great-grandfather, and she was an Apple family member, but he was trying to teach _history _which should have no bias, and he just tossed away my family as if they were nothing!

I knew not to speak up, but I did mutter, "Damn it!" under my breath to Ripe and Spoon, both adjacent from my desk.

This really wasn't my day, because good old Mr. Bags heard me! Yay!

Anyway, he called me out, shouting, "Excuse me? Do you have something to say, little filly?"

Still resisting the urge to kill, I used my Diamond Eyes, and said, "My name is Diamond Tiara, sir, and I do have something to say, or ask if it were. Is there anything else you were going to add to your lecture?"

"Absolutely not. Do not doubt my teaching abilities, little filly, because what I said is 100% correct."

Fortunately, before I got the chance to strangle him, the bell rang, and I asked Spoon and Ripe to talk with me out in the hallway.

I started by whispering angrily, "What in the hoof was that? No mention of my family whatsoever! I may hate History, but there is _no flanking way_ it is that biased!"

Then, Ripe asked, "So, what are we going to do, Diamond?"

"I'll tell you. I'm going to walk in that door and confront him, and ask him about the curriculum."

However, before I was about to give the moron a piece of my mind, I felt a hoof tug against my shoulder.

It was Spoon, and she said, "Diamond, don't you feel like you're being too hasty? I know you're mad, but this just seems pointless to me."

I sighed, and then glared straight into Spoon's eyes. "Listen to me very carefully. Breaking a school curriculum is against the law, and I know Apple Bloom would stand up for herself if this happened to her. I want answers, and I'm going to get them. I know you hate conflict, but there are times when somepony just needs answers, OK?"

"You're right. I'm sorry, Diamond. It's just…I didn't really think we need to go out of our way to get answers for something like this, but if it really is against the law, and after the first presentation, I've changed my mind."

I responded with a smile, and subsequently entered the room of my teacher.

My statement was blunt. "Mr. Bags, may I talk with you?"

"I suppose so. What do you want?"

I cleared by throat and sighed deeply. This could definitely hurt me. "I'd like to accuse you of altering the school curriculum, sir."

This caused him to begin laughing for about a minute, before he finally got up with tears in his eyes. "Are you serious? Just because you thought I should have added something doesn't mean it's true, little filly!"

I managed to keep my composure. "I believe it does. I could get a copy of the curriculum on the Ponyville website, and prove that you edited it."

The next event…well, let's just say it proved he was a bigger douchebag than my mother could be, but she at least was a part of my family!

He proceeded to _show_ me the edited copy of the curriculum, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the signature at the bottom. Looking carefully, it was added manually…and it also belonged to Miss Rhythm. That…son of a bitch!

I became enraged, and yelled, "How _dare_ you frame my beloved music teacher! I'm going to make you pay for that, you monster!"

He was laughing. "Ah, you're too funny, little filly. She had it coming, and there's nothing you can do about it. You can't prove anything using that document!"

"I bet I can, and I will! By tomorrow, I'll have you in jail!" and with that, I stomped out of the room, about to explode with rage.

Once I saw my friends, I yelled, "That…guy…is…a…asshole! He framed Miss Rhythm for screwing with the curriculum!"

They were clearly taken aback, and Spoon quickly said, "Let's go visit Miss Rhythm! Do you think they already arrested her, Diamond?"

"Let's hope not. Come on, Talented Trio! Let's save Miss Rhythm!" and with that, we went over to the Ponyville police station, and unfortunately, Miss Rhythm was placed in a cell.

Once we arrived, we saw her crying, almost drowning in a sea of her own tears.

I attempted to comfort her by saying, "Miss Rhythm, don't worry. The three of us will clear your name, because we know you wouldn't alter the curriculum!"

Miss Rhythm was still sobbing, but she managed to choke out, "Thank you. Please, get Mr. Bags to where he belongs!"

"Why would he do this to you?"

Miss Rhythm wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "I believe he framed me because he was jealous at my compassion, honestly. But…I really don't know."

All of a sudden, Miss Rhythm yelled, "Wait! I remember now! Mr. Bags was involved in many cases that got teachers fired from school, and that's how he became a teacher in the first place! Maybe you can use that against him when you sue him!"

That was just the idea I needed. "Thank you, Miss Rhythm! We'll be sure to win for you!"

I motioned for Ripe and Spoon to follow me, and while it took a little longer than usual, due to Spoon taking an elevator, we moved quickly enough to my house. We went up to my room, where my laptop was waiting for me. I booted it up, and searched for the exact curriculum change that Mr. Bags had so graciously given me, and I found it easily.

Once there, I was able to locate the IP address, which matched his address, indicating that he had written it. I was also able to figure out that he did indeed add Miss Rhythm's signature, because there was a subtly hidden box placed around it, which only appears when you add a picture or a file. Finally, I printed out all of my evidence, and called my second cousin, Leather Briefcase, who worked as a very efficient lawyer. Considering he could piece together a case quite well, I thought he would be perfect for the job.

Once I got the signal, I said, "Hello, is this Leather Briefcase? It's Diamond Tiara. How have you been?"

"Diamond Tiara? Wow, I never thought I'd hear from you again! So, do you need anything?"

"I want to defend my music teacher Miss Rhythm, who was accused of altering the school curriculum. I already have an altered curriculum letter from the person who framed her. To add, I matched his IP address, as well as the fact that he added Miss Rhythm's signature to the letter, so that should be good evidence. He has also framed many other teachers using the same tactics to get his job according to Miss Rhythm. Could you defend her, please?"

"Hmm, that does look like pretty good evidence. Sure, why not? This looks like a pretty simple case, and I could definitely use one of those! I'll drop by your mansion to collect the evidence, and you can file charges, alright, Diamond?"

"That sounds great! Thanks, cousin!" and with that, I hung up and delivered the good news to my friends. I filed charges, and about a half an hour later, he arrived.

He had a rather plain appearance, with a tan mane and body, but he had my cerulean eyes, and you could tell he was serious from a single gaze. He was also holding his patented leather briefcase, hence his name. Anyway, I gave him all of the evidence, as well as my filed charges, and I went with him to the police station to present them. The accepted them, and told us that they would get a prosecutor for this case. They said that we should wait for him to arrive

Once I asked Leather who a prosecutor was, he said, "A prosecutor is the person who defends the accused and presents all of the evidence. Once the evidence is presented, we can use it how we see fit. The prosecutor also gives an introduction explaining the case to the crowd."

With that, I understood, and about a half an hour later, a stallion with a blue mane and a dark brown body arrived, introducing himself as Cool Blue.

Once he acquired the information and the evidence, he said, "So, Leather Briefcase, I guess we will be competing once more. We may have an even record, but I do not intend to lose this case. But, let the best stallion win."

Leather said, "Indeed. By the way, based on what Diamond Tiara, the mare sitting behind me says, the accused could be quite…volatile, so be careful."

Blue smiled. "I shall be extra careful. Yes, tomorrow should be quite an interesting day. Until then, adieu."

With that, he turned around and left. Afterwards, I left Leather to prepare his case, and he assured me that he could definitely win this one. He also added that he shouldn't have to stay up all night figuring out how to approach it.

Sure enough, tomorrow, at the Ponyville courtroom, Leather, Miss Rhythm, and I were standing on one side, and Blue and Mr. Bags were standing on the other. Ripe and Spoon sat directly behind me, and they wished the best of luck towards the case. After about ten minutes of mindless chatter, the judge stepped up and slammed down her gavel. As it turns out, the judge was Mayor Mare, which I found intriguing.

Subsequently, she said, in a clear, booming voice, "Citizens of Ponyville, court is now in session for the trial of Miss Rhythm!"

Cool Blue responded by saying, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

Leather Briefcase cleared his throat, and then stated, "The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The Mayor nodded. "Very well, the prosecution may present this case."

"Certainly, Your Honor. The defendant, Miss Rhythm, is accused of tampering with the curriculum of the Ponyville Education System. This document that Mr. Bags printed out, that shows the edited version of the curriculum, has Miss Rhythm's signature on the bottom. I believe that this evidence suggests that this is an open and shut case. That is all, Your Honor."

"Compulsive liar!" I muttered to myself, causing Leather to push me down softly.

The Mayor nodded once more. "I see. Does the defense have anything to say that would suggest that this is not an open and shut case?"

Leather cleared his breath. "Yes, I do. I would like to ask a question to the prosecutor. Are there any more documents you have as evidence?"

"I would give you them if I had them, Mr. Briefcase."

I was shocked. What happened to the papers? However, Leather remained unscathed. "I see. I would like to present an autopsy on Mr. Bags as a piece of evidence."

With that, he handed the document over to Blue, who then handed it to the Mayor.

Subsequently, the Mayor said, "The court accepts this as evidence."

Blue shrugged. "Big deal, so the pony has been accused of doing stuff like this before. So what?"

"I believe this presents some doubt as to the morals of Mr. Bags, as he has been accused of attempting this sort of crime five times. Once I could understand, but five seems ludicrous. Furthermore, I would like to submit footage from a security tape as evidence. Please skip directly to 9:45 PM if you wish to see my evidence."

Sure enough, the court got a television with a tape player, and the footage showed Leather extracting testimony from Miss Rhythm about Mr. Bags. It also included the truth swear.

Towards the middle of this, Mr. Bags yelled, "Hey, that's illegal! Call the cops on him!" but Leather Briefcase nullified his point, and soon the tape ended.

Considering Miss Rhythm explained that Mr. Bags had asked for her signature two days before she was framed, had told her that he had jailed five teachers before her, and sent his edited curriculum to the police, feats nopony else saw or heard of, this was groundbreaking evidence.

Of course, Mr. Bags spoiled the party by yelling, "No! None of this is true! I saw Miss Rhythm write the paper, I saw it! You can't prove otherwise!"

Leather, still calm as ever, said, "Actually, I can. However, first, I will submit this document, showing the exact notes I took of the very scene I showed you."

Again, the Mayor said, "The court accepts this as evidence."

"Oh yeah, Mr. Lawyer? You can prove that Miss Rhythm didn't write the paper? Ha! Nonsense!" Mr. Bags yelled, with confidence in his voice.

(Play the song Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Cornered here for dramatic effect!)

In response, Leather simply smiled, and pulled a pink flash drive from his pocket. "Do you know what this is, Mr. Bags?"

"A trinket from your five year old filly?"

"Not even close. This is the flash drive of Diamond Tiara, the pink pony next to me. Considering she was the one who submitted most of the evidence to the prosecutor, she came up with a back-up plan in case that evidence was lost; this very devise. In fact, I will even say that this contains a document that proves that Mr. Burns wrote the document as well as added Miss Rhythm's signature to it! Your Honor, I would like to request a computer so that I can prove this!"

"No…Your Honor…please!" Mr. Bags begged, and it seemed like we had finally won.

Fortunately, the Mayor said, "The court accepts the defense's request."

With that, a computer was wheeled out, and the two incrimidating documents were revealed to the court.

Leather sealed the deal by saying, "And that's your case!"

Mr. Bags did try to proclaim that the evidence was illegal, but Leather called down the police chief who ratified all of the evidence Leather presented after the prosecutor left, so that claim was rejected. Sure enough, Mr. Bags was proclaimed guilty, and sentenced to ten years in prison. Hopefully, he would also lose his job for good.

Miss Rhythm, as well as Spoon, Ripe, and I all thanked Leather Briefcase for being such a great lawyer.

He smiled, and then stated, "I'm just happy I was able to get the testimony so quickly, and your back-up plan did him in, Diamond, so I should thank all of you as well."

Subsequently, Leather left, shaking hands with Blue before walking out of the courtroom, and we all gave Miss Rhythm a great hug, enthralled that she was teaching and Mr. Bags was serving the time he deserved.

With that experience out of the way, our new teacher, Mrs. Grass, who had a green body, a dull yellow mane, and green eyes, was much better, and while most of my grades were B' s at the end of the first quarter, I knew I could improve them next quarter. Also, towards the end of the first quarter, Spoon and I had a rather intriguing conversation.

I started it by asking, "Spoon, have you ever been asked out before?"

Spoon blushed. "No, but I would certainly love to go out with a colt! How about you, Diamond?"

"Not as often as you would think, but I did have to reject one or two colts."

That statement was quite the strange foreshadowing, because almost immediately after the second quarter began, I saw a very peculiar event take place.

I was merely walking down the hallway, when I heard a loud high-pitched male voice. Looking closer, I saw Snips and Snails were talking, but Snails looked…different. He had a backwards hoofball cap on, and he seemed to convey…a cooler attitude. I decided I had to listen to them, so I eavesdropped.

Snips started by saying, "What happened to you? You used to be so easy to talk with but now…I feel like you're a different person."

Snails sighed, and responded by saying, in a deeper tone, "Look, Snips. I've been doing a lot of self-realization over this summer. I just…can't live like I did in the past. Taking a DJ class over the summer, I feel like I've been doing myself an injustice by acting…like an idiot! I got my cutie-mark so early, and I never sympathized with early-flanks such as Diamond, so I pushed myself to be cooler. I am still the same Snails deep down, but knowing that I have a talent for spinning the record makes me believe I can use that to become a cooler person through this hat and through simply relaxing. Honestly, we can still be friends if you want. I won't mind one bit, bro."

Snips began to cry. "No! I can't be friends with you considering what you are now! Goodbye!" and with that, he ran to class.

Snails simply shrugged, and did the same. Wow. What happened to the idiot who constantly screwed up getting gum trapped on his bum? He…really changed and to be honest…he was kind of attractive. I _never_ thought I would hear myself even think those words, but it was true!

Sure enough, two days later, my newfound feelings for Snails were put to the test with my current feelings for Ripe. As I was walking out the door, I was approached by Snails.

He said, very calmly, "Hi, Diamond."

I responded. "Hello, Snails. I overheard your conversation with Snips two days ago, and you really changed a lot!"

He laughed a little. "Heh, yeah. I've actually become a talented DJ over the summer, thanks to the DJ camp. It was headed by DJ-PON3, so you know it worked out well."

"I suppose so. So…why did you want to talk with me?"

"Yeah, well…I've always admired you ever since the elementary school play, and from the self-realization I've done over this summer, I discovered I wasn't sympathetic to your situation as a pony who got her cutie-mark earlier than others. Believe me, I know all about blank flanks who think they are on the top of the world, and that early-flanks like us will go nowhere because our fate is already decided. Isn't that ridiculous?"

I was utterly shocked. "I…completely agree, Snails! That's _exactly_ what I thought of blank flanks after my cute-ceañera!"

"Glad you agree with me. So anyway…will you go on a date with me, Diamond?"

I gasped in shock. Looks like I had to make an important decision. Would I go with Ripe, who helped me overcome the hospital obstacles? Or would I go with Snails, who became attractive over the summer, and shared my blank flank beliefs? Dang, this was really tough!

* * *

Oh boy, love triangle approaching! Well, I hope you liked this chapter, and don't worry because an answer should be coming your way soon! Good night, everypony!

Next chapter: Diamond makes her decision, either to accept or reject Snails. Who will she choose? Will Rarity appear next chapter? And will the CMC finally get their darn cutie marks? Find out, next time!


	21. Imperfect

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 20

That's right, Shock is back, everypony! Again, I'm sorry the updates are taking plentiful amounts of time, but I've just been trying to enjoy my summer by being lazy. Anyway, a monumental event (at least to me) has happened today, my story received its 20th like on FimFiction, since my like doesn't count! I'm very excited, and I feel obligated to deliver the 20th chapter to celebrate!

DisneyPrincess: Interesting guess! Thank you for your positive reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! It will be quite a change, to be sure!

Diamond Tiara: Wow! I'm…amazed. You deserve all of my praise for writing that sort of critique. What you just wrote was 10X better than the critique I received on EQD! So, thank you very much, from the bottom of my soul. Let's address your concerns. First off, I was SHOCKED when I read your concern about Diamond being a Mary-Sue, because every single point was correct! When another reviewer brought this up, I didn't understand why, but thanks to you writing it out and explaining it to me, I can turn Diamond into a well-developed character. And it was at the perfect time as well! You are my savior, honestly, and I will devote this entire chapter to addressing Diamond's "perfect" character. As for the tone, Diamond is normally well spoken, and this is a first-person perspective story, so that's why I chose a more formal approach. Still, it does seem a tad too formal, so I'll ease up a little. For the typos, I normally use Word and tend to avoid proofreading before sending the chapters in, but I have double-checked most of the chapters, and don't have a beta reader, so I apologize for any grammatical errors. Some examples would be great, but I'll be sure to be extra careful now. However, considering how new I am to writing fan fiction, (this is my first one) my pacing…might not be that great, and I apologize for that. I normally come up with key events, and attempt to explain them, and breeze through the other parts of the story because that's the only way I know how to create a chapter. Tips would be greatly appreciated, though. Thank you so much for this critique, and know that you have saved this story. Really, thank you!

Here comes my twentieth chapter!

* * *

I never, e_ver_ thought that I would actually have to ponder about going on a date with Snails…under _any_ circumstances, and yet here I was standing with my hoof under my chin looking like a love-struck moron! However, after about thirty seconds of thought, I made a decision, quickly glancing around me to make sure nopony saw me talking to Snails.

Once I knew I was safe, I cleared my throat and said, "I'm going to have to deny that offer, Snails. I'm afraid I'm looking for a long-term relationship, and I believe I've found one with another pony. Still, I've got to give you credit. You've really improved your image!"

Snails blushed. "Thanks, Diamond. I wasn't expecting you to take my offer, but could you please describe why this other colt would be a better match for you than me?"

"Well, first off, his name is Ripe Orange in case you want to talk with him. Second, I'm a business pony. Ripe's one of the only ponies who can actually talk about my future career without becoming disinterested, and he's really sympathized for who I am; a rich, business pony. I just don't believe you'll truly understand me, that's all."

Snails nodded. "That's fine. Say, are you going to come to the Talent Show this quarter? I'm going to be scratching some sick beats, so I really think you'd dig my performance."

All of a sudden, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind. Spoon and Snails both wanted a date, so I might as well attempt to hook them up. Of course, considering Spoon was my best friend, I had to make sure she wasn't going to date a loser.

With that in mind, I said, "I always perform at the Talent Shows, when I can, Snails, so I'll definitely be there. Also, if you can get popular and impress me with your performance there, I might just decide to set you up on a blind date."

Snails became ecstatic. "Really? That would be awesome, Diamond! I'll be sure to do that!"

"Heh, OK. Just know that if you don't, this'll be the last true conversation you'll have with me."

"Fair enough. Later, Diamond."

"Later, Snails."

With that, we went our separate ways. That…certainly was interesting, to say the least!

Unfortunately, from there, I started to discover…some of my…flaws. And believe me, they were horrifying.

Like some events in my life, I'm not 100% certain about the trigger for this outbreak of doldrums, but I believe it had to do with my classes getting tougher. After the 1st quarter, I assured myself that the B's I received; covering half of my report card was simply a result of bad teaching. Unfortunately, during the 2nd quarter, I had wonderful teaching…and the same grades. Math was fine, of course, but my other three primary classes; English, Science, and History, were becoming nuisances.

The problem with English was the tests, as I was a good writer. You…couldn't prepare for them! I mean, I was a decent reader, but some of the questions were almost unanswerable! How was anypony supposed to comprehend English at that level?

In Science, the labs drove me insane. Art was never my best subject, and you had to be so precise when pouring the chemicals into beakers! Heck, I remember one time during the beginning of the quarter when I _spilled_ a beaker, and began muttering obscenities to myself. That…_sucked_! I literally felt like screaming, and I almost broke the table because I was pounding on it with my hoof so hard!

In History, I did know some of the information beforehand, and even got one of the highest grades, a 95% on a debate between the Apple family and my family. To add, I wasn't even _too_ harsh on Apple Bloom, which she thanked me for later, so it was a good moment for me. Even then, it didn't conceal the copious amounts of graded home work we had to complete, and the tough-as-nails tests which I loathed to no end.

Because of all of this nonsense, I had B's in _all three of those classes halfway through the quarter! _That never happened in elementary school, because the work was rather simple compared to this, and it _really_ concerned me.

To make matters worse, I had checked the school board to see who had made it on the Honor Roll, meaning they got all A's, and there were five ponies from my grade on the list, including Silver Spoon! Needless to say, I wasn't exactly ecstatic when I figured _that _out…

Anyway, a few days after I realized my grades sucked, Spoon and I had a conversation about the court case we had recently endured.

Spoon started by saying, "Hey, Diamond. That was a great job on that court case! You really saved Miss Rhythm!"

I blushed. "Thanks. Unfortunately…it was a little bit of a fluke. See, I learned how to find an IP address and other computer related stuff when I was younger, and fortunately, I had re-read it about two weeks before the event occurred, so it was fresh in my mind. I also received a laptop when I was about…eight years old, so I have copious amounts of experience with a computer. Finally, I always save my work on that pink flash drive, and I was lucky enough to bring it with my directly before the case in my saddlebag."

I was shocked. Did I just admit that I had fluked my way through a court case? I had revealed that I had…flaws? What? I was attempting have an in-depth conversation with Silver Spoon, since most of our conversations consisted of the words "hey" or "bye" and as a result, by complete accident, I drastically increased the magnitude of my predicament!

Although Spoon reassured me that I did a great job, my train of thought soon spiraled into other "flaws" I had made. Looking back, they really were not flaws, but rather flukes towards groundbreaking events in my life. For example, I thought about the loophole I had found. I realized that only my dad and my mom read that contract, and honestly, they just skimmed over it hopelessly! I was the only pony to really look at it. Subsequently, I asked the question, could that mean I wasn't a business prodigy? This…was really bad!

Trying to hold back tears, I finished school, and ran back home. I needed to take a nap, because it usually helps me clear my mind and continue on with my day. After all, it's always that simple, right?

Not this time. I wasn't accustomed to these kinds of flaws in my character. Before this, I assumed that if I put my all into everything, I would show everypony I was the most special, including my parents. But, through it all, only one thought stuck out in my mind; my family is going to kill me!

As I wallowed in the shame of imperfection, I realized I had to find character traits I exhibited that were perfect, or else I would drive myself insane.

Subsequently, I realized that I hadn't seen Rarity in a while. Perhaps making some clothes could help cure my cyclone of despair.

With that, I wiped my eyes and trotted downstairs. I also made sure to consume a few leftovers from last night as a snack, because I knew that food would help my spirit return to its halcyon nature.

The walk to the Carousel Boutique felt lengthy for some reason, but I arrived without any problems.

I knocked on the door, and Rarity turned the door ajar.

Subsequently, she said, "Ah, darling! It's fantastic to see you again! I'd adore it if you could give me a hand in designing some fabulous dresses!"

I smiled, feeling confident about this. "Sure thing, Rarity! I'll definitely prove I'm special today!"

I rushed over and after a quick briefing from Rarity, I began constructing the dresses. The first two were very easy, and I finished them in about forty minutes. Unfortunately, in this case, third time's a harm.

At first, the dress was sewed perfectly, but about halfway through, my hoof got a little too close to the needle and it pierced my entire wrist.

I made a horrible shrieking noise, and Rarity ran over, and discovered my injury. The pain was mind-boggling, and I had to focus to an absurd level just to keep consciousness! Fortunately, Rarity had a first-aid kit, and knew how to treat my injury, using antibiotics to reduce the pain, and placing a gigantic cast on my wrist.

Once the treatment was complete, Rarity smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, darling! The same thing happened to me when I was younger, and I fell into a stupor! Your bravery was quite commendable! Not everypony could last as long as you did!"

As much as it pained me to know that I could screw up sewing, a task I believed was a part of my cutie-mark, Rarity's compliments were very encouraging, and I thanked her sincerely, even giving her a huge hug before leaving.

However, as I exited, I realized the injury had taken a ridiculous toll on my body, so I called dad, and asked him to send a limo to take me back to the mansion. He sternly warned me not to call when he was working, but he agreed nonetheless, and I was whisked to the mansion.

The black cloud that shrouded over me failed to dissipate from that visit, and its grip was about to tighten.

The very next day, in sync with my return to the mansion after school, dad gave me a letter. When I discovered it was from Granny Smith, I should've just tossed it, but my curiosity took over, and I walked to my room like a possessed zombie where I opened the letter. The note inside went like this.

_Dear Diamond Tiara,_

_I'd like to invite you over to Sweet Apple Acres to have another conversation with me. I'm not entirely sure you remember this, but the attitude you displayed when you figured out the loophole in the contract I signed…isn't exactly appropriate as you get older. I just want to make sure you understand a couple of things so that you can be the best business mare you can be. Why now, you may ask? Well, I'm actually on my death bed, so I want to make sure the mare who takes over runs this place well, that's all. I really hope you consider my offer, as this might be the last time we can talk._

_Sincerely,_

_Granny Smith_

I was absolutely torn about what to do. Honestly, if I wasn't in a slump of depression, I would toss the letter, but after the poor decisions I've been making lately…I actually needed somepony to help me.

And I knew exactly who could do the job.

My dad had hired a private psychiatrist named Mr. Fix after his marriage with my mother concluded. Considering he told me that psychiatrists were supposed to help ponies, I felt like he could help me with this. Therefore, I trotted down the stairs, only to discover that my dad was busy. After muttering obscenities, I decided to have another snack, as that helped me with my visit to Rarity, and sure enough, it worked.

About a half an hour later, I was able to approach dad, and ask him to see the psychiatrist without being reduced to begging or tears. That was certainly a relief, and I made sure to keep that experience in mind whenever I felt despondent. After all, losing dignity is one of the last things I want to do in my life.

With that in mind, dad called the psychiatrist, and told me that he would be arriving in about two hours, considering he needed to grab his books, and arrive on foot. I nodded, and went upstairs to practice a rather difficult saxophone piece.

Speaking of which, those pieces began spiking in difficulty at this time. There were sixteenth notes and triplets everywhere, and I was shocked how tough it was to play them accurately. When I talked with Mr. Blues about it, his response was, simply put, keep practicing, and you'll definitely be able to play it without mistakes. He also assured me that I was a great saxophone player, but still…I felt inadequate in some way. Perhaps that also contributed to this outbreak of doldrums, but not as much, considering I was really focusing on becoming a great singer, rather than a great saxophone player, because jazz…just lost a little luster for me at that time.

I also want to emphasize I wasn't trying any less that I had previously. I put my all into my work, and it was heartbreaking that I was unable to acquire the results I wanted! Ugh, I really don't know why Celestia took until seventh grade to begin hating me, but I was enraged by the delay.

Anyway, once the psychiatrist arrived, I discovered that he had a light tan body and a black mane. He introduced himself to dad and me, and asked me to follow him to the library. I could also tell he was rather stout, considering he was carrying at least ten books with him, and asked me to take a seat once he arrived, after I gave him the letter from Granny Smith.

Once we were both sitting down, he said, "Now then, Miss Tiara, I have heard that you're going through some hard times. Could you elaborate a little, please?"

I gulped. This wasn't going to be fun. "Well…I used to get straight A's in elementary school, and while my effort hasn't decreased, I'm noticing that I have three B's out of my four major academic classes, and some activities that I thought I was really good at, such as sewing and playing the saxophone…have started to become problems. I even injured myself while sewing!" I concluded, showing my casted wrist.

He nodded. "I see. Tell me, why do you believe these are such huge problems?"

That was a weird question. "Umm…because one of my main goals is to show everypony I'm special, and I feel like I can't do that…with these…flaws being revealed in my talents."

He nodded again. "Very interesting, Miss Tiara. Now then, do you know what narcissism is?"

"Huh? No! Why are you asking me that?"

"I merely wish to provide a diagnosis so that I can help you with your predicament. Anyway, narcissism is the act of accentuating the self-worth of you, and having difficulty expressing empathy. Do you believe you have exhibited that in any way? Don't worry; I'm not going to get angry if you say yes, honestly."

Suddenly, I felt a few tears fall from my eyes. "I…yes."

He sighed. "I see. Could you please explain why you believe you have exhibited narcissism?"

I literally felt like I was being punched in the gut. However, to get it off of my chest, I decided to spill the beans, in its entirety to him. "My parents…they divorced when I was four, because they wanted a child to take over their business, and I couldn't, because of my gender. After that, when I went to school, my mom…was very harsh on me. She…always thought I was so useless…that even when I got straight A's, she failed to acknowledge them! And then…"

At this point, I almost choked trying to hold back tears, but I cupped my mouth with my hooves and continued. "In third grade, I visited my mom, and made the tiara on my head just for her! In one hour, no less! I even got my cutie-mark because of that! But still…she called it tacky! I was so mad, and my effort to prove I was special drastically increased. Then, one day in fourth grade…I was the leader of a project…and the daughter to the Apple family, our rivals, was in my group. But still…I managed to get our group…a 100%! Then…my mom…got mad…because she thought I was helping…our enemies! Heck…before that, she even said…there was…nothing I could do that wouldn't make her think…I was use…less…"

I couldn't hold my tears back anymore. My eyes and tears; they were like an activated faucet as I broke into full out sobs.

However, through it all, Mr. Fix didn't interrupt or laugh at me, and he simply waited for me to calm down. Then, he offered me some tissues and some water, and simply waited. He didn't encourage or discourage the continuation of my story.

Yet, I kept going, with tears still pouring from my eyes, by saying, "Anyway, after that, I went into fifth grade with vengeance. I wanted to make sure I was the most special pony, so that my mother wouldn't think I was useless. But...all of my attempts to do this, mostly consisting of bullying the Apple family's daughter and her two best friends…just failed. But…the worst part…I mean the very worst part…was that my mom…ugh." I gulped, at the verge of losing it. "My…mom…became…a mental…patient…an abomination…thanks to…Discord! I love my family so much, and now I can't even prove to my mom that I'm special!"

With that, I broke down, and quickly threw myself in Mr. Fix's lap, sobbing uncontrollably.

During this, I screamed, "I just don't get it! Whenever I try to get my family to love me, and see that I'm special, mule shit happens! I can't be useless, I just can't! Why does the world hate me? _Why?_"

I thought that I would die right then and there, not that I would have cared, but something very surprising occurred.

After I bawled my eyes out, my dad entered the room and hugged me.

He said, with a very soft and comforting voice, "Diamond, you're anything but useless. You managed to find a loophole that even we couldn't find in a contract. You managed to negotiate your way to a machine that will allow us to create Apple Cider with ease. You even managed to save one of your fellow teachers from a crook. And, most importantly, you're the best daughter I could ask for, believe me."

Still upset, I yelled, "You never looked at that contract! About six thousand flukes happened at that trial! I don't even think I deserved to win! Please…just be honest. You want me dead, _don't you?"_

"Why would I want that, Diamond? First off, that would be child abuse, and second off, there is absolutely no reason for me to do that! You're incredibly special, Diamond. So what if you have B's in three of your four main classes? So what if you hurt yourself while sewing? Think about all of the things you're incredible at! You are a business prodigy, your voice is beautiful, you're still a wonderful saxophone player, even with the new pieces, and most importantly, you're probably the most mature 13 year old I've ever seen. Not many 13 year olds would think to talk with a psychiatrist after experiencing your problems, believe me."

Mr. Fix decided to chime in. "I completely agree with your father, Miss Tiara. The fact that you manage to seek my help and answer all of my questions shows that you're a very mature and brave filly. For that, I sincerely congratulate you, and I'm sure your father will as well. Also, about your mother, from your description, I'm sure there is some sort of connection that you can make with her that will get her to love you. Finally, I believe I have an answer to your original question. If you have seen Granny Smith before, just ask her about what she wants."

My concern suddenly disappeared, then resurfaced. "Thank you both very much! But…what if anypony sees me? The previous visits haven't led to any confrontation, but I'm fearing for my luck this time."

Mr. Fix nodded. "Your concern is very understandable, Miss Tiara. However, I believe that seeing her will make your problems fade away, because according to this letter, she should have some wonderful business advice, and that appears to be the source of all of your problems."

I analyzed his logic, and I came to the conclusion that it made sense, so I simply nodded, thanked him, and went on my way to Sweet Apple Acres, right after he said he would love to talk with me about any problem I might face. Anyway, at the beginning, from a glance behind me, I saw that Mr. Fix was walking behind me, but I quickly took a different branch in an upcoming fork for him to disappear from my vision.

I was extra careful about detection this time, but fortunately, I made it to Sweet Apple Acres without anypony appearing in my sights, so my fears were nullified.

I trotted up the same flight of stairs and knocked on the same door as my last visit with Granny Smith, before I heard a voice telling me to come in.

Sure enough, Granny Smith was there, so I took a seat.

Granny Smith began this conversation by saying, "Young'un, did ya get mah letter?" I held it up, and she nodded. "Good. So, what do ya think about it?"

I shrugged. "You didn't exactly tell me much, Granny Smith."

She sighed. "Well young'un, Ah've been thinkin' 'bout you and the Rich family, and Ah've decided to help ya out a little."

"How? You don't really sound like you know a lot about business."

"Ah know more than ya think, young'un! You should know that ah almost never lose mah temper, but on that day…ah know ya were might excited, but it was still bad business behavior, ya hear?"

I was confused. "Could you be more specific?"

"Ya know, the way you were braggin' and insultin' our family. That kind of behavior is what destroys deals, young'un."

All of a sudden, the swarm of memories returned, and I said, "Oh! I remember now! Yeah, I was incredibly excited about making my first major business breakthrough, and this was at the time when my mother was describing your family as the devil, which really went deep into my soul. Still, I will admit that I shouldn't have insulted your family, since I'm a huge family mare, so I will apologize for that, and I'll do my best to take your information to heart, because it does seem logical. Is that what you wanted?"

That wasn't easy by any means, but I honestly felt like I had triumphed over the Apple family, so I could ease up on the whole "business rivals" shtick.

She nodded. "Yeah, that'll do, young'un. Now, about me bein' on mah death bed, Ah've contracted a deadly disease, and ah think my time in this world will be done soon. Please, just promise me you'll take good care of this place, and hold up your end of the bargain. Ah've already created the will."

I nodded in return. "No problem. Say, where is the will, anyway?"

She weakly pointed to a table, and I found and red the will, realizing that she did hold up her end of the bargain.

I smiled. "Well, Granny Smith, I'm glad we managed to come to an agreement. I will admit that you're kind of cool, especially considering your age and family, and I wish you luck in the afterlife. Later."

She gave me a smile, tinged with anguish, but still showing she was accepting her death. "Goodbye, young'un. Have a good life."

With that, I closed the door, and allowed her to rest in peace. However, out of fear that I might be blamed for her death, I quickened my past as I left Sweet Apple Acres. However, as I was walking back to my mansion, I was interrupted by a voice.

Actually, three voices, yelling, "Hey, Diamond!"

To my shock, the CMC were indeed greeting me. Of course, they were still blank flanks, so I was extra careful about my surrondings when responding, but once the coast was clear, I responded. "Hey. So…how's crusading?"

Apple Bloom was the first to speak. "Well, we still haven't got our cutie-marks yet, but we've came up with some specific ideas! Applejack recently commented on mah building abilities, so once we get some tools, Ah'm gonna build a windmill!"

Sweetie Belle was next. "Yeah! For me, when Rarity played some music in the boutique, I began singing, and Rarity commented on how good I was! Maybe I could try singing for the talent show!"

And finally, the chick…I mean Scootaloo spoke. "You two do that, but I'm going to perform some tricks on my wicked cool scooter! Maybe the lift will finally be enough for me to fly, and my talent could be flying on my scooter! Then Rainbow Dash would love me for sure!"

Again, I was astonished. They had actually found some things they were good at, and they all had ideas on how to finally acquire their cutie-marks. I had to admit, I was kind of impressed, even though I still knew I was more special than them. Still, I didn't feel degraded whenever I talked with them, so clearly, they had really made some progress!

I said, "Well, well, well! Looks like you three finally took my advice! Good, I knew it would work! Anyway, I've got some good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Concurrently, they chirped, "Good news!"

"Well, I think you three have finally got your cutie-marks if those are actually your talents. And believe me, I don't joke about that stuff."

Again, a concurrent "Yay!" rang out from the three.

I sighed, knowing I was about to break their hearts. Still, I knew they should know about Granny Smith. "However, the bad news, is…Granny Smith is about to pass away, I'm afraid. I had nothing to do with it, but it's true. Here, take this letter if you don't believe me."

With that, I handed the letter to a heartbroken Apple Bloom, and after reading it, she yelled, "What? Is she still alive, Diamond?"

I groaned. "I'm not sure. She said she was about to die right after I left."

"That ain't good! Come on, crusaders!" and with that, the three ran off, with the letter.

Honestly, as they ran, I secretly hoped Granny Smith was still alive so that the CMC could say their good-byes to her while they could.

Man, I really have changed!

* * *

Wow, this was tough to write! I had to do a complete 180 with Diamond's character, developing flaws, and a little sympathy, but I believe I've done it. If there is anything I should add or take out to make this change more believable, please let me know, because coming up with an approach was inane, to say the least. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed my 20th chapter, and look for more to come. Thanks for all 20 of the likes, everypony!

Next chapter: The CMC rush to Sweet Apple Acres to check on Granny Smith. What will happen to them, and will they tell Diamond? Also, the talent show begins. How will Diamond fare? And will that blind date come into fruition with Snails? Find out, next time!


	22. Two Special Talents

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 21

Hello everypony! I sincerely apologize for the massive delay, but both online summer work and summer laziness caught up to me. Nonetheless, I have returned with the next chapter of A Diamond in the Rough! Thank you for all of the critique and positive comments, as they have really helped motivate me to pick this story up again!

DisneyPrincess: Thank you! I'm sorry about the loss of your grandmother, but I know you have the strength to keep on going with your life. Also, thank you for telling me about Diamond's maturity for consulting the psychiatrist. Believe me; it'll help me develop her in this chapter!

As the CMC scampered off into the horizon, I began to ponder a particular word Dad and the psychiatrist used to describe me…mature.

Honestly, making an appointment with Mr. Fix was merely a matter of finding and utilizing my resources, and I was glad I did so, because it helped me, and nopony knew I had to rely on others. As painful as it was for me to get help, I realized I could handle it as long as nopony realized it, or if the ponies who did realize it complimented me. I definitely remembered the word mature referring to actions that would be expected at an older age, and my brain quickly made the connection between my maturity and my business skills.

That's when it hit me.

If I could focus more on my business skills than my academics, I could be more mature than all of the other ponies in my grade, which would mean I would be the most special pony in my grade! Sure, academics were important, but my family became successful and noteworthy due to their business accomplishments! This new outlook on life might even help bring my mother back! Honestly, all of these thoughts were a result of simple logic, and the fact that my good grades…really didn't result in too many positives, unless you count my mother hating me and my family arguing as positives. I knew school would lead me to college, so I wasn't planning on flunking, but I decided I would put that extra effort towards business rather than school, is all.

Ecstatic, I ran back home, jumping for joy a few times, and prepared for the Talent Show. After all, focusing on my business skills doesn't mean I should throw away any other chances I had to show Ponyville how special I was. Considering the Talent Show was in a week and both Spoon and Ripe knew what plans I had for the show, I decided to call them, and we organized a lengthy practice session that was quite successful.

Strangely enough, all of that chaos happened during a weekend, starting from Friday, so when the practice session ended, the day was over, and another school week began. However, as Spoon, Ripe, and I approached school, the CMC were there waiting.

I ignored them, but Apple Bloom yelled, "Hey, Diamond! We got to say our last words to Granny Smith!"

I sighed, and then responded sarcastically, while walking by them, "That's nice, blank flanks. I totally care about that."

They looked a bit dejected when I looked over my shoulder, but I shrugged it off and continued with my school day.

The week went by pretty uneventfully, and I ended up getting a low A in math and B's for the rest of my subjects for the second quarter and those were the grades posted on my report card for the first semester. I'm really glad I changed my outlook on my life, otherwise that would really bother me.

However, the biggest change and surprise for me, was Snails. To my amazement, he actually became pretty popular, and I saw him talk with a few popular ponies about being a DJ during that week. Who knows, maybe he'll earn his blind date with a great performance at the Talent Show!

Anyway, after Friday's school session ended, Ripe and Spoon waited for me outside the school entrance, just like I asked that morning, and we walked to our school's music room once more, after most of the ponies had left the building.

Right after we started walking, Spoon said, "Hey guys! I'm on the Honor Roll with straight A's!"

I smiled. "Nice. How many other ponies are on there?"

"Only four others besides me!"

"Heh, I had a feeling it was challenging, especially considering I got B's with the exception of an A I got in math. How about you, Ripe?"

Ripe chuckled. "All B's. I try, but it's pretty tough!"

I made a throwing motion with my hoof, and said, "Don't worry about it. I've discovered recently that good grades won't get you everything in life. I'd focus more on business."

"Hey, that's good advice! Thanks, Diamond!"

"Well, we're here!"

With that, we arrived at the music room, and practiced once more. After about two hours, I felt confident all of us were going to knock it out of the park, as we performed the song perfectly right before our session concluded. After a quick group hoof-five, we went our separate ways, excited for tomorrow's talent show. Time to prove to Ponyville that I'm truly the most special pony in this school!

I woke up when the morning was still young that Saturday, anxious to practice with Ripe and Spoon once more before the talent show. Fortunately, since we had completed a few perfect runs of the song early on, most of our practice time consisted of relaxation between the three of us. After a few lengthy hours, the Talent Show was finally ready to commence, and I couldn't have been more excited.

However, while the elementary school Talent Show was mediocre at best, and even then I'm being polite, I was able to watch this one without attempting to contain my laughter or cringes. I'll admit, the performances were not too bad, but I knew I would blow everypony out of their seats when I arrived on stage.

After about half of the ponies performed, Snails was up. I never saw him as a DJ, and he was competing for a blind date, so I was legitimately excited to see his performance.

When he came up on stage, he said, "Thank you! As you may or may not know, I've been working to be a DJ for a little more than six months now, and this is one of my proudest accomplishments. Hope you enjoy it!"

With a roaring applause by the crowd, he stepped behind this absurdly huge box with all of these switches and two disks on it. Huh, that must be his DJ platform. Anyway, he tinkered with a few of the switches, and finally placed a record on both of the disks. With that, his performance began.

I instantly recognized the song, Levels, and I also instantly recognized that the recording of the song was initially sharp. Snails eventually fixed it, during one of the times when he wasn't scratching the disk. Now, from what I can gather, Snails scratched one of the records to create these peculiar "scratching" sound effects, and the other one if he needed to stop or delay the song's pace in any way.

Anyway, after Snails corrected the song's pitch, he began to…sing? Actually, I'm not sure he really sang. His lip-synching was spot on, but I did remember some differences between singing and fake singing, and I was ninety percent sure he wasn't really singing. Still, he put on such a convincing act, that I don't think anypony noticed he might not have been singing!

Finally, while I did hear a few mistakes in his performance, they weren't major, and Snails was simply engrossed in his performance. He made hoof gestures, he jumped, and he really felt the music. When he finally finished, he got another roaring applause, and I definitely believe he earned that blind date.

The Talent Show was such a wonderful experience…until one performance put an enormous damper on my excitement. And, wouldn't you know it; it was Sweetie Belle's performance! When the CMC told me they had realized their talents, I took their words with a grain of salt…until Sweetie Belle got on stage, and started singing.

(Dynamite, the China Anne McClain version)

_I'll throw my hooves up in the air, that's right_

_Singing hay-o_

_Gotta let go_

_I'm gonna celebrate and live my life_

_Singing hay-o_

_Ponies let's go_

_I came to be, be, be, be, be_

_A superstar, that's my decree-cree-cree-cree-cree_

_I'm looking out and what I see, see, see, see, see_

_Is everypony looking at me, me, me, me, me_

_Yeah, yeah_

_I wanna go, and go, and go_

_I'm gonna go, and go, and go_

_Well, I'll throw my hooves up in the air, that's right_

_Singing hay-o_

_Gotta let go_

_I'm gonna celebrate and live my life_

_Singing hay-o_

_Ponies let's go_

_I'm gonna rock this show_

_I will go all night_

_I will light the sky_

_With vocal dynamite_

_I'll keep it strong_

_Don't need to tell me twice_

_I will light the sky_

_With vocal dynamite_

_I will be all right_

_I'll be the last pony standing_

_Even if I fall, like,_

_I'll be the last pony landing_

_'Cause I_

_Believe it_

_And I_

_I just want it all_

_I just want it all_

_I'm gonna put my hooves in the air_

_Hooves in the air_

_Put your hooves in the air_

_Yeah!_

_It's Sweetie time!_

_Be prepared!_

_Woo, throw my hooves up in the air sometimes_

_Singing hay-o_

_Gotta let go_

_I'm gonna celebrate and live my life_

_Singing hay-o_

_Ponies let's go_

_I'm gonna rock this show_

_I will go all night_

_I will light the sky_

_With vocal dynamite_

_I'll keep it strong_

_Don't need to tell me twice_

_I will light the sky_

_With vocal dynamite_

_Vocal dynamite!_

_Yeah!_

My first thoughts after that were, 'Are you bucking kidding me?! How is her voice that…good?' Oh, man, I was in trouble. Wait, in trouble? I entered this damn performance to prove to Ponyville how special I was! Some good song wouldn't prevent me from gaining that…why does Sweetie Belle have a cutie mark? And for that matter why did I see it flash during the…no! This isn't happening! There's no bucking way that blank flank got a cutie-mark from singing that! I wish I was that lucky, and yes, she got just as much attention from that as you would expect. I was livid at that point, but instead of using my rage on Sweetie Belle, I used it as motivation to make absolutely certain my song trumped Sweetie Belle's in every possible way.

Still enraged, I stomped backstage to tell Spoon and Ripe to give it their all for our performance. I had to be better than Sweetie Belle, or my efforts for proving to Ponyville who special I was would be null and void. With the cue from the music teacher, we, the last performers went on stage. After a brief tuning of Ripe's guitar and a hook-up of his iHoof, we were ready to begin. I gave them the 3-2-1 cue, and Ripe began to play his guitar. This was my moment, and there's no chance I'm screwing up!

(What I Wouldn't Give, by Jake Miller)

_Yeah_

_Diamond Tiara_

_Let's go!_

_Yeah, yeah, right now, I'm preparing for a high life_

_No, seriously, I'm preparing for it day and night_

_Now, with me and my band, I'll live it for a day or two_

_'Cause while you're staring up at me, I'm looking down at you_

_They'll say I've got the good crap, getting my morale up_

_My haters I will laugh at, and go ahead and yell, 'what?'_

_It's not profound I'm just addicted to the crowd_

_Even though I'm an earth pony, I'll soon be seeing clouds_

_I'm feeling awesome, you'll never break me_

_All those obstacles you throw at me will never, ever shake me_

_I want it all, 'cause that's the game I choose to play_

_And I will get it, 'cause this earth pony is here to stay_

_Yeah, I'm gonna go for the glory_

_I'm gonna get all those flashing lights_

_All on me and my story_

_Will be published and displayed in every store_

_The fame, the fans, I'll be a star, a star_

_I'll laugh; I'll go and set the bar, the bar_

_For a good life_

_I'll get my name in lights and_

_My songs play every night and_

_I'm making all this noise, so all my haters will say, 'pipe down!'_

_But I will not; I've got a game I gotta play_

_It's called life, and I win almost every day_

_Still, there was a time I didn't perform in any show_

_I sat first row, and when the curtains closed_

_I took a peak backstage to see how good performing felt_

_Still, it didn't last for long before I wanted it for real_

_I'm feeling awesome, you'll never break me_

_All those obstacles you throw at me will never, ever shake me_

_I want it all, 'cause that's the game I choose to play_

_And I will get it, 'cause this earth pony is here to stay_

_Yeah, I'm gonna go for the glory_

_I'm gonna get all those flashing lights_

_All on me and my story_

_Will be published and displayed in every store_

_The fame, the fans, I'll be a star, a star_

_I'll laugh; I'll go and set the bar, the bar_

_For a good life_

_I was once a filly with a dream_

_I wanted everypony to scream_

_My name, my name, my name_

_Soon I'll wake up every morning_

_Basking in all of my fortune_

_And fame, and fame, and fame_

_Let's go!_

_Yeah, I'm gonna go for the glory_

_I'm gonna get all those flashing lights_

_All on me and my story_

_Will be published and displayed in every store_

_The fame, the fans, I'll be a star, a star_

_I'll laugh; I'll go and set the bar, the bar_

_For a good life_

_Yeah, I'm gonna go for the glory_

_I'm gonna get all those flashing lights_

_All on me and my story_

_Will be published and displayed in every store_

_The fame, the fans, I'll be a star, a star_

_I'll laugh; I'll go and set the bar, the bar_

_For a good life!_

That…was amazing. I felt as if the music and I had become one, and with that bond, I gave it my all, and turned in a phenomenal performance. I believe I heard my voice crack once, but I was literally tearing up, doing hoof gestures, and being…so passionate about what I was doing. I know I may never have this much fun with business, which is why from that moment on, I felt determined to be the best of both, a business mare who sings amazingly. Of course, one of, if not the best applauses that night and the number of ponies who stood as a result of my performance didn't exactly harm my position.

During the applause, I ran over and gave Spoon and Ripe a hug, and then I gave the cues for a group bow, which the crowd loved. Heck, even Sweetie Belle said, after I walked off of the stage, "That was amazing, Diamond! I wish I was that passionate towards singing!" In response, I just smiled, and walked away without another word. Finally, I went up to Snails and said, "Congratulations. You're earned your blind date. Meet at the Grassy Vines restaurant at 8PM tomorrow. Don't be late." I knew Spoon would be free at that time, and told her about the date, which she was fine with. Finally, Spoon, Ripe, and I went our separate ways, and after I told dad how exciting the Talent Show was, I went to sleep.

(Photo Frame's POV, present)

All of a sudden, Mrs. Spoon spoke up.

"Diamond, do you mind if I tell you how the date went?"

Mrs. Tiara shrugged. "Sure, nothing much happened that day until the time that date took place anyway."

Mrs. Spoon smiled. "Alright!"

(Spoon's POV, past)

An hour before the date, I rushed frantically to prepare myself. I ended up braiding my mane, and decided to wear the same outfit I wore for Diamond's cute-ceañera. It certainly gave off an air of sophistication and opulence, so I assumed it would be adequate for a date. Being that this was my first date, I did have some jitters, but I knew I had to be confident. So, I took some deep breaths, calmed myself down, and arrived at the Grassy Vine…about ten minutes early. Not that it was a negative, considering I had to confirm the reservation Diamond placed on our table, and actually get to the table, which was pretty far back in the restaurant. Also, yes, the greeter was well aware of the fact this was a blind date, because he didn't say anything when I asked who my date was. Anyway, I arrived at my table, and waited about five minutes before my date arrived.

When he arrived, my jaw dropped, and I asked in disbelief, "Snails? Is that you?"

He returned my disbelief by asking, "Silver Spoon? Yeah, it's me, Snails."

I was still shocked. "You're my date? Well, I really hope Diamond knows what she's doing."

Snails merely smiled. "Heh, I'm surprised too. Wow, you look great! Is that the outfit from the cute-ceañera?"

I blushed. "Thanks! Yeah, it is. What of it?"

"No problem, it's my pleasure really. As for the question, I just thought I'd start some conversation, is all."

"Cool."

With that, I put my hoof to my chin, attempting to fish out a conversation point. "Hmm…hey, did you know that I was one of the five ponies who made the honor roll this year?"

Snails looked both astonished and happy. "Really? Wow, that's awesome! I wish I was that smart. I don't think I got one A this semester, only B's and C's. Say, what did you think of my performance in the talent show? You did great, but I just want to know how you think I did."

I smiled. "Thanks for both of the compliments! You also did pretty well! That was awesome singing, and you looked like you had so much fun!"

Snails blushed. "Eh, I don't mean to sound unimpressive, but I don't actually sing in my performances. I can't sing. I use auto-tune everything beforehand, and lip-sync during my performance of the song. I really enjoy being a DJ, because it combines technology with drama and music. Those are three things I love, all wrapped into one convenient little package! So…are you ready to order?"

I gasped. "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me. Umm…yes, I'm ready."

"Good, me too."

With that, the waiter took our orders, and there was a noteworthy deviation between the amount of food I ordered, and the amount of food Snails ordered. In other words, Snails ordered quite a bit of food.

So, I decided to ask, "Are you sure you're going to eat all of that?"

Snails laughed. "Heh, I'm somewhat of a glutton. I just love to eat, I really do. I definitely exercise, but I still love to eat food."

"Really? Well, I love to cook!"

With that, Snails's eyes widened, he facehoofed, and then he started to walk away, saying, "OK, you're too good for me, I'm sorry! I didn't know what I was in for!"

I began to crack up, and said, "That was funny, Snails!"

Snails smiled, as he returned to his seat. "Thanks. But still, you're incredibly talented compared to me. I mean, all I am is a DJ. I'm trying my best to be cool and fit in, but I guess I'm still a dork inside. Oh well."

"No, you're fine, really! You're being very honest, and I admire that."

Snails blushed. "Thanks, Spoon. Say, I think our food's coming!"

He was right, all of our food had arrived, and once Snails had his food placed in front of him, he began chowing down. I could clearly see he was resisting the urge to pig out, and showed a good deal of restraint, even groaning a few times. To be honest, I thought this blind date had gone wonderfully. The food was wonderful, and I actually began to like Snails. He wasn't as intelligent as me, but he was honest, funny, and surprisingly, a cool colt. I can't say I expected that, but this is when I didn't fully realize how meticulous Diamond was. I'm definitely not making that mistake again!

Snails was the first to speak, after he consumed half of his meal. "So, you play piano. How long have you been playing for?"

"About eight years. Hoof surgery really helps with playing difficult pieces."

"I can imagine. There are quite a lot of tiny keys on that machine."

I laughed. "It's an instrument, not a machine, Snails. Now, your thingy that you used to be a DJ…that's a machine!"

"Yeah. I actually live in a fairly wealthy family, because my father was once a very talented hoofball player. So, my family was able to get my DJ machine when I asked for one, and it was the best gift I ever got from my family!"

"Is it heavy?"

"Yeah, it's pretty heavy, but I do weight training, so I can pick it up for a little bit."

"Cool. So…when did you discover you wanted to be a DJ?"

"I just enjoy that sort of techno music, and thought it could be the way out of my unpopular state. It was, and it was so much fun! I do enjoy all kinds of music though. Oh, what kind of music do you play on the piano?"

"Classical. I love classical music, because it just has this air of sophistication that I enjoy in music. However, like you, I still enjoy all kinds of music, I just prefer classical."

"Cool. I do enjoy classical music as well."

With that, and a little more small talk between us, we finished our dinner, and Snails paid for the meal.

Finally, when we were about to leave, Snails mustered up a bit of courage, and asked, "May I please kiss you? Just on the cheek, if you don't mind."

I smiled. "Sure."

He did so, and we said our goodbyes at last. That was an awesome first date!

(Photo Frame's POV, present)

I certainly didn't expect that, but before I had time to fully ingest what Mrs. Spoon had told me, Mrs. Tiara jumped in.

"Alright, it's my turn!"

(Diamond's POV, past, around the same time as Spoon's date)

Browsing my laptop, I pondered how successful Spoon's date would be, until I realized I was the one that planned it. Subsequently, I knew it would work out. This, for some unknown reason, spawned a peculiar curiosity for the genre in which the song I performed came from. Still, I decided to indulge that curiosity, considering I performed that song better than any other song I sang. After some research, I discovered the genre…rap. From what I could gather, rapping was basically combining talking, rhyming, and a beat, which for some reason, I was good at.

Now I was really curious, so I decided to go to Equestrian Videos to search for some rap songs. The first one I found was by Hay Kandy, and was called Lose Yourself. Wait a second, wasn't Hay Kandy just a incorrectly spelled parody of the awesome candy known as Hay Candy? How...strange. Either way, it didn't matter, because after listening to it once, I knew that rap would be the perfect way to publically express how special I was. First off, Poniem was confident, and not afraid to speak their mind in the slightest. To add, the background music in rap seemed to flow better to me than in pop music, and I seemed to be one of, if not the only female who was interested and talented in this genre. It was perfect, and with that confidence in my mind, I knew rapping was the way to go if I wanted to make sure Ponyville knew I was the most special pony around.

With this dedication and confidence in my mind, I replayed Lose Yourself, and rapped along almost perfectly, confirming my suspicions. I just needed a nickname. After some thought, I came up with the idea to use my first two initials, DT as my rapper name, and my alias as…the First Lady of Rap. It wasn't too hard either, because I saw that some rap groups use their initials, and as for my alias, it was a matter of logic. I was one of the only females willing and able to rap, and I was a lady. With business skills on one shoulder and rapping skills on the other, I knew that if I developed both of them, I would definitely be the most special pony in Ponyville, without a doubt.

Phew! Another chapter done! I'm so glad I finished this, but sadly, the next chapter might take a while. I hope you enjoyed this one though, and I hope it was worth the wait!

Next Chapter: A confident Diamond Tiara goes out and attempts to transform Screwball back into her mother. Will the third time be the charm? Will Rarity appear in the next chapter? Will Ripe and Diamond/Snails and Spoon develop their relationships anymore? Will Diamond develop her business or rapping skills further? And will Dinky and Pipsqueak appear again? Find out, next time!


	23. A True Family

A Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 22

Hello everypony! I have returned! Again, it certainly has been awhile, but I promised myself I would complete this project, so I bestow another chapter upon you!

DisneyPrincess: Thank you for your kind words! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

* * *

Before I finally went to bed after that long day, I considered changing my rapping name to RDT; R for rapping, of course. Perhaps I could…but I decided to consider my options later. It was late, after all. So, I drifted off.

The next morning, I woke up rather abruptly as I began to think about Screwball. It wasn't like I loathed her personality; carefree and silly, but she was interfering with my family. Suddenly, I began to realize my internal conflict regarding the situation. Could I really use the realization of my talent for business as a way to basically destroy this silly, carefree pony? And even worse, would I regret bringing back this pony who completely despised me? Would anything truly change?

However, something then sparked inside me, and I remembered my dad's words, "The number one rule in business is to not let your feelings influence your decisions in the slightest."

He was right. If I truly loved my family, then I would do anything for them. If I truly wanted to succeed in business, then I would never let me feelings get the better of me. And, if I truly wanted my mother back, I would have to go through Screwball. And, guess what? I had every intention of doing that.

With determination rushing through my veins, I slammed my hoof down on my bed, and rushed out the door mumbling, "Mom…I'll get you back. I promise."

A few minutes later, I was at the hospital with my saddlebag, and I asked to see Screwball once more. And, per usual, she was throwing a baseball off of the walls of her cell.

Once she saw me, she said, "Yay! It's you! Ooh, want to play that game again! I bet I can win! Just like when I play catch!"

I took a deep breath. Damn it, why was this difficult?!

"Hey Screwball, can I tell you a story?"

She frowned. "Aww, no game?"

I shook my head. "There'll be plenty of time to play after I'm done with my story."

Why did this lie hurt me?

She smiled. "Okay!"

"Well, I've done quite a few things since our previous visit. I began asking myself some questions. Such as: was school as important as I previously thought? And the answer was…no, it wasn't. It was simply a distraction from my business talents. And, as a result, my grades started to lower, but somehow…I never felt like I lost how special I was as a pony."

She gave me a confused look. "Huh? What does this have to do with…ugh!"

I was getting somewhere. My mother was breaking loose. I…just had to keep up the…momentum. Why wasn't this easy?

"And I figured that since every other path I took never impressed you…maybe this would be the one. Focusing on my Celestia-given talents rather than focusing on grades. Doesn't that sound like something better to do with my life?"

Screwball started to cry. "I never said that! Never…ever…said…gaah!"

I put my head down. It was time to reveal the truth.

"You're right. You never said that. But my mother did. And the reason I'm telling you this is because…you're controlling my mother. And I want her back. So…could you leave…please?"

I was shocked. I _never _said please before. But nothing compared to what happened next.

All of a sudden, through a waterfall of tears, Screwball started to smile. "Is that so, huh? Well, I guess I'd better give her back…right? I'm just a fake; a being created from chaos. Oh, Daddy, why did you have to create me? I ruin the lives of ponies…just to escape the Imaginary Zone. Well, it seems like I must return to the Imaginary Zone; where fakes like me belong. But, don't worry, Daddy. I'll be a fake…with you."

Suddenly, a bright flash of light overtook her body. And yes, I was crying at this point.

"Because you are…my Daddy Discord. And I…am a piece of you. Goodbye, Diamond Tiara. It's…back to…the Imaginary Zone…for me…"

And with that, she vanished. I had won. It certainly didn't feel like I had won, but I had. After a few minutes of tears, I pulled my head up to see…my mother!

The tears returned, and I couldn't help but to give her a huge hug. It wasn't until about a minute after the hug that I realized my mother was unconscious. I quickly checked her pulse and discovered she was fine, so I rushed home, carrying her on my back.

A few minutes later, I burst in the door, and rushed to Dad.

Once I saw him, I yelled, "Hey Dad!"

"Yes, Diamond…who's that on your back? Is that…no, it can't be."

I smiled. "Yep, it's Glamour! I brought her back!"

He frowned, and with a sigh, he said, "Diamond, we're divorced. Go outside and talk with her before you bring her back here. I don't want any violence in this house. Is that clear?"

I nodded, and took her outside. I was very fortunate she was unconscious, because I completely forgot about that. Mom would have gone nuts had I left her inside…

Anyway, I brought her over to the hospital, and they said it would take about a day or two for her to wake up, due to her weakened state. So, I had to figure out a way to spend the rest of my Sunday. I remember that Ripe had a family meeting in Manehattan that weekend, and Spoon had a huge project she had to complete, so I couldn't spend time with them. However, I realized that I hadn't spent time with Rarity for a little while, so I decided to head on over to the Carousel Boutique.

When I arrived, the boutique was closed, as I expected, and I knocked on the door. About a minute later, Rarity arrived, and said, "Ah, darling! It's wonderful to see you again! Care to help me with some dresses?"

"Sure! Don't have much else to do today."

With that, we walked upstairs, and Rarity briefed me on the dresses she had to complete. However, she didn't need too much help, so I didn't work or suggest as much as I hoped. Still, it passed the time, and Rarity was grateful. However, as I was about to leave, I heard a voice.

"Hey, Diamond!"

It was Sweetie Belle. After making sure the door was closed, I said, "Oh, Sweetie Belle. What do you want?"

"Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have developed plans to get their cutie marks, so don't be surprised if you see two more ponies with cutie marks tomorrow!"

All of a sudden, I was reminded about what she almost accomplished during the Talent Show. I certainly wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.

"Heh, we'll see. By the way, are you enjoying your cutie-mark?"

"Yes!"

Suddenly, I stared directly at her. "Good. Be thankful you didn't destroy my performance at the Talent Show, 'cause nopony is going to be more special than me, got it?"

As I expected, she started to tremble a little. "Yes…but I really couldn't control when I got my cutie-mark."

I simply stared at her for a few seconds, and subsequently left, giving an "I'm watching you" gesture as I stepped outside. Emotions, ponies, what did it matter? The point is, I wasn't going to let anything get the better of me…and that's that.

However, as I was walking home, I collided with somepony, and got knocked backwards.

Once I shook my head, I yelled, "Watch where you're going!"

Subsequently, I realized I had crashed into Dinky Hooves, who was carrying a book. She looked rather impatient, and said, "Oh, Diamond! Could you please take this magic book back to Twilight's library?"

I laughed. "You have legs. Do it yourself."

"I have a date with Pipsqueak, and I'm running late! Please, take it back to Twilight! I'll try to make it up to you!"

I began to ponder her request. I could tell Dinky was fairly talented when it came to magic in our fight, so it might be nice to get on her good side. Also, I didn't have anything else to do, so after a few seconds, I said, "Give me the book."

Dinky was ecstatic. "Thank you, Diamond!"

Once the book was in my hooves, I said, "Don't mention it. Literally, don't mention it."

Dinky nodded, and ran off.

At this point, I decided I wouldn't use the information about Pipsqueak Dinky gave me against her unless she really angered me. So, I got up and walked over to the library.

Once I arrived, I went up to Twilight and said, "Dinky wants to return this book."

"Thank you. Want to get any books?"

I never really considered getting any books, but I realized I was getting a little behind in French, with no classes in my middle school, so I checked out a few French books. With that, I left.

The walk back home was uneventful, and I completed a few business simulators, one of my favorite things to do in my free time, before going to bed.

During the typical walk with me, Ripe, and Spoon, I discovered that all of us had a good yet busy weekend, and we walked into the second semester with our heads held high. However, on our way to school, the CMC stopped us.

Subsequently, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo simultaneously yelled, "We got our cutie-marks!" showing their flanks.

Apple Bloom had a windmill with an apple in the middle as her cutie mark; no surprise there, and Scootaloo had a scooter with some lines behind it, probably symbolizing air, as her cutie mark.

In response, I merely nodded, and said, "Not bad."

Then, I went back to conversing with Spoon and Ripe as we entered school once more.

The day was uneventful, but went by slowly due to the fact that I might get my mother back that day. I mapped out what I was going to say carefully, yet I got called back to attention by Mrs. Grass a few times. I simply played the denial game, but she seemed to be quite concerned, as she asked to speak with me after class.

She said, "Diamond, are you alright? Is there anything that's been distracting you lately?"

I said, "Yeah, there is." I looked around the classroom, and nopony was there, so I continued. "Promise you'll keep this a secret, OK?"

"I promise."

I sighed. "My mother has been in a mental hospital for a while, and now she's almost recovered from it. However, she's had these really high expectations for me, and I don't know what I'm going to say to her once she does recover. That's why I've been dozing off; to think about what I'll say to her."

Her eyes widened. "That's terrible…I'm very sorry. I hope you've almost figured it out."

I nodded. "May I leave now?"

She nodded, and I took off towards the hospital to get another progress report.

Doctor Ate was in her room, and when I asked him about my mother's condition, he said, "She should be waking up in about one to two hours."

I gasped. "Are you sure?!"

He simply nodded and left.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. This was it; this was my moment. I could restore our family or break it apart just as easily in just an hour or two. The pressure was intense, because this was the first time in my life where I only had one shot. One shot to mend the wounds in my family. One shot to get two supporting parents instead of one. One shot to make our business more successful than ever. And one shot…to prove to myself that breaking my mother out of her insanity was not a horrible decision.

Suddenly, I took my iHoof, and played Lose Yourself. And, oh boy, I rapped like I never rapped before.

_Look, if you had, one shot, _

_Or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted_

_In one moment_

_Would you capture it? Or just let it slip_

_Yeah_

_Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy_

_There's sweat on her brow already, Mom's spaghetti_

_She's nervous, but on the surface she looks calm and ready_

_To drop bombs, but she keeps on forgetting_

_What she wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud_

_She's choking, how? Everypony's joking now_

_The clock's run out, time's up, over – blaow!_

I rapped that failed scenario so it wouldn't happen to me. I wasn't going to go this far to bring my family together just to fail now! I imagined that my veins were full of ice, and there was only one thing I felt; concentration. This. Was. It.

At last, after a little over an hour, her eyes opened.

I quickly stood up and went into her line of vision, and said, "Hey Mom. It's me, Diamond."

With a yawn, she said, "Diamond? Where…am I?"

"You're…in the hospital, Mom. Do you recall anything I said yesterday?"

She looked at me with a perplexed look on her face at first, but fortunately, that expression changed. "Ah, I remember. Didn't you say that you were beginning to focus more on business than your academics?"

I nodded, and then dug into my saddlebag to pull out my report card for seventh grade. Once I handed it to her, she gave a slight smile.

"So, you're focusing on your business career now, right?"

"That's right, Mom. School hands out grades, not careers."

With that, she gave a legitimate smile; something I never saw from her in my entire life.

"I always knew you had that wisdom and maturity in you, Diamond. Those amazing gifts just needed to be extracted."

I gave that same smile in return. "Thanks, Mom. But…why did you ignore me for so long just to get that message across?"

Her smile faded. "Let me tell you something, Diamond. The business world is cutthroat and sexist. I had to fight every day of my career just to get to the top. It was through sheer willpower and skill that I achieved a position in leadership. And that's what you have to do as well. I ignored you so you could develop the hard shell, wisdom, and maturity you need to go through this journey, because I want nothing more than to see you succeed. But, in order to succeed, you must devote yourself entirely to business. Do you promise that you will?"

"Thank you…Mom. And yes, I promise."

The smile returned. "Good. Diamond, do you want to know what I truly desire?"

"Yes?"

"I want a female pony to run Equestria through the power of business, due to the sexist nature of the profession. After all, it is the great equalizer, allowing regulation and development of programs that promote wisdom rather than intelligence. Much as I admire Celestia's monarchy…it produces more lemmings than individuals. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Diamond?"

"…Yes, I do."

"Good. One more thing, you are a special pony. You have the maturity to experience events that would make most ponies flee in fear. I would even go so far as to call you…a diamond in the rough. Never forget that. I'm telling you this now, because I will continue to step back and allow you to grow. Oh, and do you believe Filthy Rich will forgive me for my actions?"

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you for everything. I…truly appreciate what you've helped me become, and I won't forget anything you've told me. It's too valuable. However, I have one more question. How did Screwball possess you?"

"Business runs on reasoning and logic. Chaos is the exact opposite of that. Chaos ruins businesses, and chaos ruins me. It's a weakness of devoting my life entirely to business, but it's a necessity. I am weak due to my age, so I cannot truly fight chaos, but you can. I assure you; you can and must fight chaos while maintaining your promise. You will not truly succeed otherwise."

"I understand. But...I'm not getting what gave you these beliefs. They are pretty strong, y'know."

Suddenly, Mom put her head down. "Do you truly wish to know? It is a rather long story."

I sat down. "Sure!"

She nodded. "Very well. It began when I was around two years old. I lived in Manehattan for most of my life. My mother and father volunteered to serve in World War II, and left me with a maid, who raised me for most of my childhood. She was strong willed, and helped develop that trait in me. However, nothing could prepare me for what happened next. About eight years later...my maid alerted me that my parents...were dead."

A tear welled up in her eyes.

"Ouch..."

"Needless to say, it was quite a traumatic event. I never truly knew my parents, but from what I could gather, they were fairly strong, brave, and compassionate, so I took it...quite harshly. I spent about a week away from school, trying to cope with the situation. However, on the weekend before I went back to school, my maid went into my room and said, 'You can't let life beat you down like this.' By Celestia, I took those words, and I ran with them. I was always interested in business, and considering my father ran a business and my mother assisted, I decided to pursue that path...for them. A few years later, I discovered that school was not as beneficial as I anticipated, so I realized focusing on business would be better than focusing on school. But it was nowhere near easy. I was constantly insulted and ostracized for my decision, but I knew how proud my parents would be if I succeeded in my quest, so I continued. However, no matter how good my skills got, I had almost no friends, and every time I applied for a business job, I got shot down due to my gender. So, after I graduated from college, I realized that I had to start up my own business if I were to achieve my goal of making a name for myself as a female business pony. I knew somepony, about ten years older than myself, who ran a boutique in the town, and she, fortunately, was one of my only friends. I talked with her, and we eventually signed a contract allowing me to take over all of her business procedures. It was the best decision both of us ever made. It took awhile, but the boutique became the most popular building in all of Manehattan, and I became rich. I met your father in a business meeting, and we actually fell in love after a few meetings. After a few dates, he proposed, and I accepted. What happened next...I'm sure you already know. But rest assured, I only ignored you to strengthen you internally, and I did not do any of my actions for money. I had plenty of that already. I merely wanted to test how well the way I was brought up worked, and I can see it worked very well. You are special and gifted, Diamond. Please, never forget that."

My jaw dropped. "Is all of that...true?"

She nodded. "Of course. There is no reason why I would lie now. I just hope you see the gifts I have given you as a result of my actions. You do, yes?"

I nodded.

"Good. Thank you for allowing my to tell my story. I hope you understand me now, Diamond. I will continue to be indifferent, but I only do it out of love, and my desire to see you succeed. You can be the pony Equestria needs to pull their society out of the loop, and fufill my dream, Diamond."

I smiled. "Thank you, Mom! Do you...want to go back now?"

"I'm too weak now, Diamond. I should return in an hour or two. Please...alert your father that I wish to put the past behind us, and that I still love him with all of my heart."

"I will! See you soon!"

I…did it! I had won! My family…could finally get back together! A wave of ecstasy rushed through my body, and I could hardly contain my excitement when I got back home.

The instant I saw my dad, I yelled, "Dad! Dad! Mom's coming back! And she wants to get back with you! She still loves you! Isn't this great? Our family can finally return to the way it was!"

However, my dad didn't give the reaction I had hoped for. "We're divorced, Diamond. I don't want to go out of my way to pursue something that will probably waste my time."

I got livid. "What the hell do you mean?! She's matured me! She's helped me! Why won't you give her a second chance?!"

Dad sighed. "I can tell this means a lot to you, Diamond. When is she coming back?"

"Pretty soon."

"Fine. I'll give her one, and only one chance. You'd better not be trying to destroy me, Diamond."

I smiled. "I'm not, and thank you!"

With that, I rushed up to my room; waiting for the doorbell to ring. After about a half an hour, it did, and I waited on top of the steps, praying that their encounter would go smoothly.

My mother was the first to say something. "Rich…I missed you badly. It's wonderful to see you once more."

"Why did you constantly ignore and mistreat Diamond?! Was it just because she couldn't inherit my business?"

"No. I had to train her; establish a shell of maturity and wisdom, so that she could continue the harsh, unrelenting path of a female business pony. You know how horribly sexist that profession is, don't you?"

"That's true…"

"And it worked, didn't it? Aren't you proud of Diamond?"

"Yes. I just have one more question. Do you love me for who I am; not for my wealth?"

"Of course I do. I always have. Marriage in Equestria isn't something to be taken lightly. And I'm willing to put the past behind us, and move on. What say you?"

With that, Mom and Dad shared a long, passionate kiss, and a few tears fell from my eyes. At long last, I had a true family.

* * *

Next chapter: Diamond's family is back together, but will the divorce papers be eliminated so easily? Also, will Diamond's aggressive nature lead to conflict between her and the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Will some chaos be thrown into her life? And finally, will more romance be developed? Find out, next time!


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